News
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Parliamentary procedure: What is a motion to rescind?
Published on April 16, 2013
Board members sometimes realize the need to change their mind regarding an issue before them. One method of revisiting a past decision is the motion to rescind. -
Parliamentary procedure: What is a motion to reconsider?
Published on April 16, 2013
Board members sometimes feel the need to change their mind regarding an issue before them. One method of revisiting a past decision is the motion to reconsider. -
New rural water quality protection guidebook prepared by Michigan State University
Published on April 13, 2013
New guidebook is a “must have” that details best management practices that lower the impact of land use activities on water bodies and provides sample language for community master plans and zoning ordinances. -
Michigan Local Government Benchmarking Consortium helps lower costs and improve services
Published on April 13, 2013
Organizations that want to improve program effectiveness and efficiency need to manage performance, and to do so, they have to measure it. The measures they choose need to be meaningful and linked to a desired goal, result or benchmark. -
Understanding nonconformity: Are you 'granfathered' in?
Published on April 4, 2013
Properties that qualify as nonconforming often have particular regulations that affect how an owner can make changes to the property. Understanding these regulations is important in order to avoid potential conflict with local government. -
Cleaning up your community: How to deal with the accumulation of junk
Published on April 4, 2013
Accumulated junk on properties can adversely affect the health, safety and property values in a community. Using a multi-faceted approach to dealing with junk can bring people together to improve the quality of life in their community. -
Lake Improvement Boards: A local approach to inland lake protection
Published on March 24, 2013
New manual offers guidance on forming a lake improvement board. Manual is free and available to download. -
Communities can enhance local planning and zoning using the Internet
Published on March 24, 2013
Advances in Internet technology and accessibility provide an excellent opportunity for land use officials to make planning and zoning information more available, and increase the number of citizens engaged in planning decisions. -
Difference between special use permits and variances
Published on March 22, 2013
Special use permits and variances are zoning tools that protect communities and properties while providing flexibility to landowners and municipalities. -
Behaviors to build trust -- talk straight
Published on March 14, 2013
Building trust is a process, and has to start with individual behaviors. One of the most important behaviors, built on enduring principles, is honesty in conversation, aka telling it straight.