UPDATEThe West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission is a federal and state designated regional planning and development agency serving 120 local governments in Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana Counties.
WMSRDC is also responsible for the management and administration of the homeland security program for the counties of Clare, Ionia, Isabella, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, and Ottawa.
WMSRDC is also the planning agency for the metropolitan transportation planning (MPO) program for Muskegon and Northern Ottawa Counties.
James Maike, Chairperson
Newaygo County Commissioner
Sandeep Dey, Executive Director
Amy Haack, Editor
| January 2012 |
On November 30, 2011 WMSRDC held a Muskegon Area-wide Plan (MAP) County-wide Planning Commission meeting to kick off the MAP update. The well attended meeting began by briefing participants on the history of the initial MAP development and implementation activities over the past five years. In addition, attendees were placed in groups to review and comment on the initial implementation tasks outlined in the MAP including marking activities that had been completed and adding new initiatives. Since the meeting, a MAP Advisory Committee has been established and will guide the process of the two-year update. The MAP update was made possible through a grant received by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to Muskegon County. |
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Staff from the Regional Commission held the Kick-off meeting for the West Michigan Blueways and Greenways Plan: Phase II (Oceana and Mason Counties). The meeting was held at the Pere Marquette Charter Township Hall on October 26, 2011. The meeting included representatives from both Oceana and Mason Counties. Attendees of the meeting learned about the process of developing the plan and were presented with draft maps of each county identifying blueways and greenways within each area. Participants were given the opportunity to ask questions, as well as react and add to the draft maps. WMSRDC staff is continuing to develop the plan and accompanying maps. |
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WMSRDC, on behalf of the Region 6 Homeland Security Planning Board, was recently awarded three Fiscal Year 2011 Homeland Security Grants from the Michigan Department of State Police (MSP). The first is the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) in the amount of $1,874,748; the second is the Homeland Security Grant Program, Citizen Corps Program (HSGP – CCP) in the amount of $29, 776; and the third is the Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS-Grand Rapids) in the amount of $267,609. The grants are utilized for a variety of purposes including strategic planning, critical infrastructure, training, equipment, exercises, and others. The WMSRDC is responsible for the management and administration of the Homeland Security Program on behalf of the Region 6 Homeland Security Planning Board. |
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Rural Transportation Task Force WMSRDC will establish a Rural Transportation Task Force, under the West Michigan Rural Transportation Planning Program (WestPlan/Rural) in the beginning of 2012. At the request of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), WMSRDC will administer the nearly $1.5 million in rural federal transportation funding allocated to the region. WMSRDC will work with the local road agencies to administer task forces to plan for the most efficient and cost effective use of these funds. The new rural task force has been realligned to include all five counties within the region which are Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana. |
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Forging Strong Partnerships with Educational Institutions WMSRDC will soon welcome Muskegon Community College to the WMSRDC Board; West Shore Community College is already a member. WMSRDC continues to forge strong partnerships between local governments and educational institutions in the region. |
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Muskegon Area-wide Plan
