Bill to Put Michigan Students and Educators First 

Header 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 7, 2021

Contact: [email protected]   

 

Gov. Whitmer Signs Bill to Put Michigan Students and Educators First

The governor was joined by students and educators to sign the historic school funding bill into law.

 

MACOMB, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer today joined students, educators, and support staff at Ojibwa Elementary School in Macomb County to sign House Bill 4421, which appropriates $4.4 billion in  federal COVID relief funding to support schools across the state and help students, teachers, and schools recover from the pandemic. The historic education funding represents the bipartisan work completed in late June to ensure that Michigan’s K-12 education system takes advantage of federal funding to make unprecedented investments in our schools.

 

“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the type of investment in our schools that will put Michigan students and educators first as they head into the next school year,” said Governor Whitmer. “Our actions today prove that Republicans and Democrats in Lansing can work together to enact budgets that are laser-focused on helping Michigan take full advantage of the unprecedented opportunity we have right now to make transformative investments in our schools that will have positive impacts for generations.”

 

The bipartisan supplemental bill distributes over $4 billion from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, to power schools’ efforts to get our kids back on track. A total of $841 million comes from ESSER II funding from December 2020, while $3.3 billion comes from ESSER III funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

 

The ESSER funds will be distributed to districts based on their Title I, Part A allocation – which means more money will get to districts that serve students with the highest need. The funds help meet a wide range of needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic, including reopening schools safely, sustaining their safe operation, and addressing students’ social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs resulting from the pandemic.

 

“Earlier this year, I appointed the Student Recovery Advisory Council to better understand our schools’ needs and identify evidence-based strategies to help every student thrive after the pandemic,” added Governor Whitmer. “We know this recovery isn’t just about brushing up on fractions or remembering when to use the quadratic formula. Our students need a comprehensive recovery.”

 

Today’s funding represents supplemental funding for the current year budget. Legislation for the school aid budget for next fiscal year beginning October 1 is currently being reviewed.

 

“This is a significant budget supporting those who invest in the lives of our young people,” said Rep. Brad Paquette, R-Niles. “The bipartisan work done here is just the first step towards even more future transformational positive change within our education system.”

 

“Throughout the pandemic, teachers and support staff have stepped up and done everything in their power to teach their students and take care of their mental health amidst unprecedented obstacles,” said Rep. Regina Weiss, D-Oak Park. “My colleagues and I are proud to have partnered with the Governor on HB 4421. This bill will send billions of federal covid relief dollars directly into our schools and classrooms for PPE, support staff, academic intervention, mental health services, air quality improvements, and more. This critical support will help students across Michigan return to learn, and sets a strong foundation moving forward for what meaningful investments in education should look like.”

 

“This federal funding is a game-changing opportunity to invest in our students and schools, from aiding learning recovery, to addressing the educator shortage, to fixing aging school infrastructure,” said MEA President Paula Herbart. “This infusion of cash won’t permanently solve decades of underfunding education, but in the short run it can show our communities what’s possible when we properly fund our schools.”

 

“As school leaders work with parents and stakeholders to create plans for a return to school, they will need additional resources to ensure each child can experience success.  With these vital funds, recovery plans have the resources to provide the academic, physical, mental, emotional, and community support students need to thrive,” said Kevin PolstonSuperintendent of Kentwood Public Schools and Chair of the Student Recovery Advisory Council. “The MI Blueprint for Comprehensive Student Recovery gave Michigan’s school leaders and policy makers the game plan, now they will also have the resources to get the job done. We are grateful to Governor Whitmer and the bipartisan legislators who came together to get these crucial federal recovery dollars into our schools. Now we can all get to work putting the needs of Michigan’s kids first.”

$150 million investment in local parks and trails 

Header 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 6, 2021

Contact: [email protected]   

 

Gov. Whitmer announces historic $150 million investment in local parks and trails

Together with proposed investment in state parks, the plan would provide $400 million to revitalize communities across Michigan

 

LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer today announced an historic investment in community parks and recreation facilities, proposing $150 million in federal relief dollars from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan be dedicated to addressing critical needs in local park systems. This investment will create good-paying, blue collar jobs across the state as we jumpstart our economy and get Michigan back to work.

 

Whitmer announced the proposal at the Idema Explorers Trail in Ottawa County, an example of a recreation property that could benefit from the new funding. The proposed investment would be administered as a grant program by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and would support the economies, health and recovery of communities across the state.

 

 

“These two new investment programs, totaling $400 million, mark a once-in-a-generation chance to improve quality of life for our residents, support local economies and bring people back to Michigan as the state continues its recovery from the effects of the pandemic,” Whitmer said. “These investments will ensure our children and grandchildren continue to enjoy the rejuvenating benefits of natural beauty and outdoor spaces so prized by Michiganders. I look forward to working with the Legislature to secure this investment for our communities.”

 

“Local parks are a critical part of the network of recreational opportunities throughout Michigan,” said DNR Director Dan Eichinger. “People just want good parks, and they don’t usually care who manages those parks provided the work is done well. Our local community partners do an outstanding job and we continue to support their work through a variety of means, including our Recreation Passport Grant program, which provides a portion of money generated by state parks to local communities for their park development. This new program would generally be modeled on our Recreation Passport grants to help local communities develop the recreational assets they need for the next generation.”

 

“Infrastructure needs in the state’s estimated 4,000 local parks are substantial,” said Emily Stevens, president of mParks Michigan Park and Recreation Association. “Local parks saw an influx of visitors in the past year as people sought safe, socially distanced outlets for recreation during the pandemic.”

 

“We have been singing about the benefits of our local parks, trails, and greenspaces for years, however the investments have not always matched those benefits,” said Stevens. “This monumental funding will address the needs at our neighborhood parks and community gathering places to make them safer, more accessible and inclusive.”

 

Tourism to Michigan parks generates value for surrounding communities, creates jobs, and sustains small businesses. Michigan’s outdoor recreation industry supports billions in state Gross Domestic Product and sustains 126,000 jobs and over $4.7 billion in wages and salaries in the state. On average, every $1 invested in land conservation leads to $4 in economic benefit.

 

“Vibrant public parks and trails are essential to healthy communities, and they allow local economies to thrive,” said Jill Martindale, advocacy director for Velocity USA, a bicycle rim manufacturer in Grand Rapids. “This funding will support companies like ours that rely on these public spaces to help keep people employed. Besides, having access to beautiful parks and trails just makes our work more fun.”

 

One measure of recreational needs in local communities is the number of grant requests received each year by the DNR that go unfunded. Over the last five years, the average of development grant applications to the DNR for three primary grant programs – the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, Recreation Passport Grants and Land and Water Conservation Fund – has approached $40 million annually. Nearly $20 million of those annual requests could not be met because of lack of available funding.

 

“As residents recognized during the pandemic when they flocked to our parks, natural spaces should not be considered a luxury, but a necessity for our wellbeing,” said Jason Shamblin, director of Ottawa County Parks and Recreation. “The cost of acquiring natural spaces; designing, permitting, and building park infrastructure; and maintaining these facilities is consistently increasing. To keep providing this critical access to the outdoors through parks and trails, additional funding is an urgent need.”

 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also proclaimed July as Parks and Recreation Month to highlight Michigan’s abundance of state, county and location community parks, as well as the many opportunities for outdoor recreation that residents can enjoy in every county across the state.

 

View full proclamation here.

Nearly 500,000 Michiganders entered ‘MI Shot To Win

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2, 2021

Contact: [email protected]

 

Nearly 500,000 Michiganders entered state’s new ‘MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes’ after Gov. Whitmer announces kickoff of $5 million in cash and college scholarship giveaway

 

LANSING, Mich. – The popularity of Michigan’s new MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes is already booming like Fourth of July fireworks. Within 24 hours after Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the creation of the MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes – a lottery-style raffle that gives vaccinated Michiganders a chance to win more than $5 million in cash and a combined total of nearly $500,000 in college scholarships – entries began flooding in.

 

As of Friday (July 2) at 8:00 a.m. EDT, the MI Shot to Win Sweepstakes received 464,698 applicants for the grand prizes, with 23,978 young Michiganders signed up for the scholarship drawing.

 

In addition, news coverage of Gov. Whitmer’s announcement of the sweepstakes at a Lansing press conference Thursday generated nearly $1 million in free publicity about the giveaway and the importance of getting a COVID-19 vaccination.

 

The sweepstakes began Thursday (July 1) and ends on Aug. 3, 2021. Eligibility criteria for each of the drawings is at: www.MIShotToWin.com.

 

“This is an innovative way to encourage more Michiganders to get vaccinated, and I am delighted to see so much excitement for the kickoff of the MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes,” said Governor Whitmer. “We understand there are people out there who have questions, and maybe this will motivate them to seek the answers to their questions so they feel comfortable getting vaccinated.”

 

The MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes is the latest kickoff in a series of lottery-style raffles by other states such as Ohio’s first-in-the-nation launch of the “Vax-a-Million” campaign. Ohio said vaccinations in the state increased 94% among 16- and 17- year-olds, 46% among 18- and 19-year-olds and 55% among those between 20 and 49 years old after Gov. Mike DeWine announced the lotteries.

 

“If there’s one thing every Michigander can agree on, it’s that whatever Ohio can do, Michigan can do it better and bigger,” Governor Whitmer said Thursday during the news conference at the Cristo Rey Catholic Parish community center in Lansing.

 

Michigan’s sweepstakes giveaway is powered by Meijer in partnership with the Michigan Association of United Ways and the State of Michigan. The statewide vaccine sweepstakes is supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of MichiganMichigan Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Association of State UniversitiesSmall Business Association of MichiganBusiness Leaders of Michigan, the Protect Michigan Commission and many more organizations.

 

The aim of the MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes is to increase the state’s vaccination rate by roughly 9% – or approximately 667,000 Michiganders – to achieve the statewide goal of 70% of residents age 16 and older who are immunized.

 

As of July 1, 2021, 61.8% (more than 5 million Michiganders) age 16 and older have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, according to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services data.

 

“The tremendous support we are receiving from our business, community, nonprofit and government partners for the MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes is inspiring and will help ensure we reach our objective of getting to a 70% immunization rate,” said Protect Michigan Commission Director Kerry Ebersole Singh.

 

“We are thrilled with the results we’re seeing after just one day,” Ebersole said. “”But for this sweepstakes to be successful, we’re asking all Michiganders to call your family and friends today and make sure they know now is the time to get vaccinated in order for a chance to win one of the amazing giveaways in the next 30 days.”

 

Governor Whitmer created the Protect Michigan Commission in January. The appointees represent a diverse array of industries, professions and backgrounds. Housed within the MDHHS, commission leaders are charged with helping to ensure every Michigander has a plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan President and CEO Daniel Loepp also issued a statement Thursday offering support for Michigan’s vaccine incentive initiative, noting that “with COVID-19 vaccination rates plateauing and coronavirus variants spreading, we must continue to act with urgency.”

 

Under Michigan’s new sweepstakes, residents age 18 and older who have received one dose of vaccine are eligible to register for a combined total of $5 million in cash giveaways.

 

In addition, Michigan’s vaccine sweepstakes will offer the opportunity to win one of nine Scholarship Drawing prizes available to vaccinated Michiganders between ages 12-17 whose parents enter on their behalf. Each Scholarship Drawing prize consists of a four-year Michigan Education Trust (MET) charitable tuition contract (valued at $55,000) that may be used to pay for tuition and mandatory fees at a college or university in accordance with MET terms and conditions.

 

The sweepstakes will hold a number of drawings including:

 

$1 Million Drawing

  • Entry dates: July 1 – July 10
  • Open to all eligible persons who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination between December 1, 2020 and July 10, 2021.

 

$2 Million Drawing

  • Entry dates: July 1 – August 3
  • Open to all eligible persons who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination between December 1, 2020 and July 30, 2021.

 

$50,000 Daily Drawing

  • Entry dates: July 1 – August 3
  • Open to all eligible persons who have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination on the date corresponding to the $50k Daily Drawing.
  • The deadline to enter the daily drawing is 11:59 p.m. ET the day prior to the drawing. See official rules for exact dates.

 

Scholarship Drawings

  • Entry dates: July 1 – July 30
  • Open to all eligible persons who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination between December 1, 2020 and July 30, 2021.
  • The Scholarship Drawing is only open to legal United States residents residing in Michigan who are between the ages of 12 and 17 as of the corresponding drawing date. The parent or legal guardian must enter the eligible individual in the Sweepstakes for the Scholarship Drawing.

 

YOU CAN REGISTER FOR THE SWEEPSTAKES ONLINE AT https://www.mishottowin.com/

To enter the sweepstakes by phone, please call the MI Shot to Win Sweepstakes Hotline:

  • Call: 888-535-6136 (press 1)
  • 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday,
  • 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday and Sunday

 

Oakland County To Invest Over $27 Million Of ARP Funds

Oakland County To Invest Over $27 Million Of ARP Funds

Oakland County To Invest Over $27 Million Of ARP Funds To Address Urgent Pandemic-Related Needs In Mental Health, Housing, Business, And Workforce Assistance

Pontiac, Michigan – Oakland County has allocated more than $27 million of its initial share of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to address acute needs of residents and businesses. County Executive Dave Coulter and the Board of Commissioners will infuse $16 million of those funds into post-pandemic mental health resources and services. In addition, the remaining allotment will support workforce development, small business recovery, and legal aid for residents experiencing crisis housing and utility needs related to COVID-19.

“I’m so pleased that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners took swift and unanimous action on my administration’s proposals for continued COVID-relief funding through the American Rescue Plan. Despite encouraging numbers on the COVID-19 front, with declining case numbers and increasing vaccination rates, there still are acute needs that need to be addressed as we emerge from the pandemic,” Coulter said. “So, the millions that will be set aside for mental health treatment, workforce initiatives, housing assistance and services for businesses will go a long way to ensuring that our residents and businesses recover from this public health crisis.”

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the Coulter administration’s recommendation for use of the ARP funds Wednesday night.

“These funds will address a handful of our immediate needs to improve our public and mental health, assist the most vulnerable, help workers secure good-paying jobs and accelerate our economic recovery,” Board Chairman David T. Woodward (D-Royal Oak) said. “Working closely with Executive Coulter, this is just one of the many bold steps Oakland County continues to take to guarantee we all come out of this pandemic stronger than we were before it began.”

Ten million dollars in ARP funds will establish the Oakland Together Mental Health and Wellbeing Non-profit Grant Program to offer grants to non-profit organizations delivering mental or behavioral health services and associated support services with a goal of increasing the capacity of these organizations to meet the growing demand for their services.

The county will designate another $4 million for the Oakland Together Mental Health and Wellbeing Emergency Room Services Grant Program to support health care providers experiencing an increase in patients visiting emergency rooms seeking mental or behavioral health care.

Next, $2 million will go toward the Oakland Together Mental Health and Wellbeing School Partnership Grant Program to increase availability of mental and behavioral services in Oakland County public schools. Program funding may be utilized for a one-to-one matching grant with Oakland County school districts to assist with costs associated with expanding access to behavioral health professionals, including social workers, psychologists or psychiatrists, and behavior analysts. Program funding may also be utilized to support Oakland County Youth Assistance and other initiatives that support mental and behavioral health and overall wellbeing of at-risk students.

Oakland County is utilizing more than $9.6 million of ARP funds to support small businesses and residents getting back to work, $6.6 million of which is committed to the Oakland Together Skilled & Educated Workforce Program. Here are the program details:

  • More than $2.8 million to fund the Oakland80 Career Navigators project, which will fund between six and a dozen career navigators who will embed in communities throughout Oakland County to help individuals understand their skills and the potential education and training paths to gain access to high-quality in-demand jobs.
  • More than $1 million to build on a partnership with Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency (OLHSA) to deploy three success coaches in support of the Oakland County Business Resource Network which helps businesses and their employees address issues related to workforce retention.
  • $1.5 million to assist individuals facing financial barriers to accessing career credential and higher education programs.
  • $1.2 million to provide an equitable recovery-related childcare for disproportionately impacted individuals and families seeking a return to work.

Oakland County is committing $3 million for the acute needs of Oakland County businesses impacted by the pandemic. The $2.5 million Oakland Together Small Business Recovery and Resilience Business Professional Services Assistance Grant Program will assist businesses and non-profits facing economic challenges due to COVID-19 obtain professional support services. Another $500,000 will enable Oakland County’s Economic Development Department to obtain the services of business community navigators to provide counseling and technical assistance to businesses and organizations in obtaining federal, state, and local relief resources.

Finally, Oakland County’s Neighborhood Housing and Development Division will leverage $2 million to work with qualified legal aid and assistance organizations such as Legal Aid & Defender Association, Lakeshore Legal Aid, and Oakland County Mediation Center Legal Aid, to help residents experiencing crisis housing needs related to the pandemic, including eviction, foreclosure, and rent and utility bills, among other issues.

Additional information on how to apply for grants will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.

Congress has allocated more than $244 million of ARP funds to Oakland County of which it has received the first disbursement of $122 million. The ARP established the following high-level categories for authorized use of state and local governments to use the funds:

  • Supporting public health expenditures
  • Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency
  • Replace lost public sector revenue
  • Provide premium pay for essential workers
  • Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure

County Executive Coulter established the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force on April 15 to gather information and make recommendations in the development of a strategic framework for the expenditure of Oakland County’s ARP Funds. Thirty-one volunteers representing broad cross-section of community stakeholders, including representatives of the education, non-profit, local government, construction, restaurants, labor, health care and business sectors have issued recommendations to address immediate community needs and economic challenges posed by the pandemic. Coulter and his administration will continue to consult with the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force to make additional recommendations to make long-term transformational investments in the county.

Coulter’s Balanced Budget Recommendation

Coulter’s Balanced Budget Recommendation

Coulter’s Balanced Budget Recommendation Invests In Oakland County’s Future

Transparent, Fiscally Responsible, Realistic and Stable Spending Plan Makes Key Investments in Cyber Security, Workforce, and Criminal Justice Reform

Pontiac, Michigan – Shaped by a vision for post-pandemic recovery, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter submitted a balanced three-year budget recommendation to the Board of Commissioners (BOC) today. Among his administration’s new proposals are investing further into cyber security, creating a countywide Incident Management Team, launching a Conviction Integrity Unit in the Prosecutor’s Office, and supporting existing programs such as Health 360, Oakland 80, and the Clean Slate initiative.

“The collaboration between this administration and the Board of Commissioners to swiftly address the pandemic by allocating the funds needed during the early days of testing and tracing all the way through vaccinating our residents has been remarkable,” Coulter said. “Although nearly 70 percent of our residents are vaccinated and it seems as though the worst of the pandemic is behind us, the budget that I present to you today is still greatly influenced by the global health crisis that hit our county on in March 2020.”

The pandemic highlighted the critical need to plan for disasters. Currently, an Incident Management Team, which can instantly respond to emergency situations like natural disasters, fires, hazardous material spills, or even a pandemic is run through a group of fire departments in the county. Coulter’s budget recommendation will bring the management of that Incident Management Team under the umbrella of the county’s Emergency Management Division, creating a countywide resource for all communities.

Coulter’s recommended budget also includes investing in upgrades to the county’s computer systems that enhance protection of county technology systems and the data of residents.

Coulter and Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced a key criminal justice reform last week proposing the creation of the Conviction Integrity Unit in the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office to make certain that people who may have been wrongly convicted get the chance to have their cases investigated by a team dedicated to ensuring they receive the justice that has eluded them. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s office has a running list of people who are looking for investigations into their convictions.

The budget recommendation includes funding for an environmental sustainability officer which the BOC has already authorized. The individual who fills this position will help develop the county’s environmental sustainability plan with a goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions on the county campus by 2030.

Coulter’s budget supports programs he launched early in his administration to boost Oakland County’s economic future. They include:

  • The expansion of Health 360 to include behavioral and mental health services, a critical need that became even more urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health 360 is Oakland County’s partnership with Honor Community Health and the Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency (OLHSA) that provides quality and affordable health and dental care to the county’s most vulnerable residents. It also delivers wraparound resources for residents who need help in other areas, such as food and rent assistance programs, navigating how to get low-cost insurance, and referrals to other resources throughout the county.
  • Support of Oakland 80, which calls for 80 percent of Oakland County adult residents to get a college degree or training certificate by 2030, has several programs in the works to help connect students with higher education opportunities and, ultimately, good paying jobs.
  • Ensuring the continued success of the Clean Slate Initiative, which provides help for residents who want to take advantage of the state’s new expungement laws. In the first two months of the program, nearly 1,200 people applied for help to get their records expunged so they can get back into the workforce without having to worry about being turned away for past mistakes. The first court hearings on those expungement applications begin in August. This initiative will continue to pay off for both residents, who need a second chance and a good-paying job, and businesses, which are desperate for workers.

Coulter’s budget recommendation highlighted Oakland County’s resolve to remain fiscally responsible including maintaining a healthy fund balance and retaining the county’s AAA bond rating. Departing from past practices, the county executive continues to move away from using fund balance to balance the budget. As the budget is aligned into structural balance, he has committed to utilizing fund balance only to protect county programs and services during times of economic downturn or emergency or for one-time investments that have long-term return on investment for residents of Oakland County.

To balance the cost of implementing a salary study begun under the previous administration to attract and retain county employees in a competitive job market and ensure the budget addresses all known spending needs to support county services, the county executive administration asked for a seven to 10 percent cost reduction in workforce costs across county departments. The cost reductions will be achieved over three years by eliminating vacant positions, reducing positions over time through attrition as employees depart through the voluntary early separation incentive program, and identifying other operational efficiencies.

Coulter’s budget recommendation is balanced at $482.1 million in General Fund/General Purpose spending for fiscal 2022, $483.5 million for fiscal 2023, and $492.9 million for fiscal 2024. The total budget for all funds includes $965.5 million for fiscal 2022, $959.0 million for fiscal 2023, and $973.5 million for fiscal 2024.

With the exception of limited funds to address direct county costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, spending to support recovery from the pandemic and long-term transformational investments in the county from Oakland County’s $244 million share of the American Rescue Plan will be separate from the main budget process, based on the recommendations of the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force reconvened by Coulter in April and in collaboration with the Board of Commissioners.

Coulter’s administration will formally present the budget recommendation to the Board of Commissioners on July 22. Click here to view the budget recommendation.

national award recognizing Michigan as a top state

national award recognizing Michigan as a top state

Header 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 1, 2021

Contact: [email protected]   

 

Governor Whitmer announces national award recognizing Michigan as a top state for sustainable development

 

  • Michigan ties for third spot in Site Selection’s 2021 Sustainability Rankings, up from fifth place in 2019
  • Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo metro areas also receive top 10 recognition 

 

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced that Michigan has been recognized as a top state in sustainable development practices by Site Selection magazine, affirming Michigan’s commitment to green energy practices and social responsibility while continuing to be a state where businesses can succeed and grow.

 

“We are building on our legacy of leadership in business growth and development by adopting  innovative initiatives to ensure Michigan’s industries are sustainable,” said Governor Whitmer. “Our incredible natural resources are the foundation of our Pure Michigan way of life and this recognition as a top 3 spot in Site Selection’s Sustainability Rankings reaffirms that tradition remains a priority as we create jobs and jumpstart our economy.”

 

For East North Central regional rankings in this year, Michigan ranked 2nd, ahead of peer states including Ohio (#3), Wisconsin (#4) and Indiana (#5).

 

In addition to Michigan’s overall top-three ranking and competitive spot within the regional rankings, Grand Rapids-Wyoming (#2), Lansing-East Lansing (#3), Ann Arbor (#7) and Kalamazoo-Portage (#9) all made the list of top 10 metro areas in the East North Central region – the most of any state in the region

Site Selection’s rankings blend standard green metrics such as LEED-certified buildings, renewable energy use and green building incentives with unique inputs such as areas’ corporate social responsibility profiles, brownfield redevelopment, corporate facility investments in sectors with green connections, and commercial real estate environmental among other data points.

 

Just last week, Governor Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in announcing brownfield, as well as a Michigan Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant, support for Whirlpool Corporation’s new Technical Center on a brownfield site in St. Joseph. The innovative project also includes a multi-family development with 80 apartments in Benton Harbor that, combined with the Technical Center will generate positive business impacts, including the ability to attract and retain needed talent while offering housing options.

 

These efforts extend to business expansion projects as well. Dakkota Integrated Systems, LLC was awarded a Michigan Business Development Program grant last year to construct and operate a 300,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in the city of Detroit returning a blighted portion of the former Kettering High School and Rose Elementary School sites to productive use along with the creation of 400 new jobs in the city.

 

“It is exciting to see Michigan continue to rise in Site Selection’s Sustainability Rankings as we work to attract and grow businesses that not only create jobs but demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices,” said Josh Hundt, Chief Business Development Officer and Executive Vice President of the MEDC. “At the very core of who we are Michigan brings together the know-how and experience in our businesses, communities and workforce that will drive long-term sustainability.”

 

This summer, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will award $15.6M in brownfield grants and loans to 21 projects for redevelopment of contaminated properties. This funding directly supports a vibrant economy while protecting the environment. More than half of EGLE’s budget each year flows into Michigan communities through grants, loans, and other spending that supports local projects, protects public health and the environment, and creates economic growth and jobs for Michigan workers.

 

When brownfields – vacant or abandoned properties with known or suspected contamination – are redeveloped, property values increase both on the revitalized site and on other nearby properties.

 

For example, through the combined support of a Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund and brownfield support through EGLE, the Allen Place Project in Lansing has been able to add critical affordable rental housing units in the community while incorporating sustainable green features, including permeable pavement, planter boxes, solar panels, a micro-grid, and rain gardens into the development. The project is also supporting area food-based businesses with accelerator spaces for food-based entrepreneurs and a farmer’s market.

 

Earlier this month, Michigan was recognized as a top state for new manufacturing jobs and investment by Area Development, being awarded the 2021 Manufacturing Gold Shovel Award on the strength of 2,619 new jobs and $441.8 million in private investment. That momentum has continued throughout the month with Governor Whitmer attending groundbreakings for Speedrack Products in Walker and TechSmith’s new international headquarters in East Lansing and announcing 350 new manufacturing and logistics jobs in the state as a result of support approved this month by the Michigan Strategic Fund.