For Friday, March 6, 2015
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1 – There’s a proposal for a sales tax and roading funding measure on the May 5 ballot.
The Michigan Environmental Council, a nonprofit coalition of more than 70 environmental and other groups, is supporting the plan.
The Council says Proposal 1 is the state’s best chance to build a safe, reliable and modern transportation system.
If approved, the proposal will increase annual support for transit and bring in new revenue for roads and bridges, public schools and local government services, the Council says.
Proposal 1 also would provide more funding for a Recreation Improvement Fund, which supports work by the Department of Natural Resources on trails and helps maintain and improve harbors, marinas and public boat launches.
The measure would increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent, but exempt motor fuel.
2 – There’s grant money available for everything from physical improvements to outreach in the Saginaw Bay Area.
The Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, funded by area foundations, has announced its 2015 Community Action Mini Grant Program.
The key word for these grants is sustainability – or projects that have economic, environmental and community impacts. Some ideas include projects that involve recreation, community gardens, farmers markets, energy efficiency and recycling.
Funding of up to $1,000 per project is available. The deadline to apply is March 20, and eligible organizations including nonprofits, local governments and schools.
See SaginawBayWIN.org for more information.
3 – If you want to go solar, you might want to go to SolarPermit.org.
The website is a national solar permitting database that provides information on permitting for solar power in jurisdictions across the country.
That includes average permit turnaround times and contact information for individual jurisdictions.
The site’s creation was supported by a U.S. Department of Energy grant.
It’s still being developed and there aren’t any local Michigan cities listed just yet.
SolarPermit.org is an interactive, crowd-sourced website. The database is populated primarily by solar installers.
— Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 9 a.m. Fridays in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM NPR.
Mr Great Lakes 