By John Shay
As a college football official, it is disappointing to see that the fall football season has been canceled. In fact, my wife is quite upset that I will be home this fall for the first time since 1996. Though many of us want to return to “normal,” the “virtual” year of 2020 continues and will require us to be flexible and patient in order to persevere through it.
Even though it was unfortunate that we were unable to meet in person at the Summer Workshop, I must commend the Professional Development Committee for doing a fantastic job of planning and carrying out an informative virtual conference. The topics were especially timely for today’s times, and I am very grateful for the hard work and innovation that the committee exhibited in putting on a great virtual workshop. Unfortunately, the current state of the pandemic is such that it is not certain we will be able to hold the Winter Institute in person. The Professional Development Committee has just sent out a survey to obtain feedback from the membership on the Summer Workshop and to obtain your input on what the Winter Institute should look like in January.
In the near future, you will be asked to vote on a proposed amendment to Article III of the MME Constitution that, if approved, would revoke a person’s membership in the MME if he/she ran for or held elected office in any municipality employing an MME member. Such a person could request that their MME membership be reinstated upon vacating the elected office. The Ethics Committee had previously conducted a survey of the MME membership on various topics. One such survey result was that 86 percent of the respondents (over 100 members) said that retired MME members should not serve on the legislative body of a municipality employing an MME member. The MME Board approved the Ethics Committee’s recommendation to place this proposed amendment on the ballot.
Work continues on our efforts to update the MME’s Strategic Plan. Our consultant, the Nonprofit Spot, is meeting with various regional manager groups throughout the state to obtain feedback from them on the draft tactics and objectives that have been developed, which would support the overall strategic goals of the updated strategic plan. The meeting dates are:
- Region 1 (Northern Lower and U.P.) September 8 at 10:00 a.m.
- Region 2 (West) September 10 at 10:00 a.m.
- Region 3 (Central East) September 8 at 1:00 p.m.
- Region 4 (Southwest) September 11 at 1:00 p.m.
- Region 5 (Southeast) September 11 at 10:00 a.m.
As some of you may recall, the MME worked with the MEDC to issue a survey earlier this year to evaluate the effectiveness of the MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) program. The survey results showed that the satisfaction level with the RRC program was mixed. In response to the MEDC’s willingness to meet with the MME to discuss the survey results and on ways to improve the RRC program, I have formed an ad-hoc committee to meet with the MEDC in a series of Zoom meetings. The committee members are: Charly Loper (City of Bessemer), Mike Cain (City of Boyne City), Doug Baum (City of Grayling), Jared Olson (City of Roosevelt Park), Aaron Mitchell (City of Otsego), Patrick McGinnis (City of Grand Haven), Josh Eggleston (City of Wayland), Christopher Shannon (City of Gladwin), Debbie Powell (City of Cass City), Ellen Glass (City of Linden), Lynn Markland (City of Fenton), Nathan Henne (City of Owosso), Deborah Stuart (City of Mason), Dan Swallow (City of Tecumseh) and Scott Adkins (City of Roseville). They represent municipalities that are either RRC certified communities or are currently working through the certification process. I am hopeful that through these meaningful dialogues, the MEDC can develop and implement improvements to this program.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need any assistance or have any ideas on ways to improve the services that the MME provides to its members.
John Shay
President, Michigan Municipal Executives
Deputy Administrator, Ottawa County
John Shay’s career in municipal management began in 1998 when he became village manager in Almont, located in Lapeer County. He then spent over 15 years as Ludington city manager before becoming deputy county administrator in Ottawa County in 2018. He’s been very involved with MME throughout his career by serving on various committees and is also a member of the International City/County Management Association. You may reach him at jshay@miottawa.org.