On Jan. 1, 2021, counties must have a plan and changes in place to comply with the law on E911 (Enhanced 911 services).

A March 24 webinar, sponsored by MAC and Abilita, will help answer your questions concerning E911 compliance.

Consider this: An employee at your office has a medical emergency after normal working hours with nobody around. He or she dials 911 from a desk phone and the ambulance arrives at your location. However, since it is after hours and the building is more than 20,000 square feet on multiple floors. The first responders are delayed finding the individual that dialed 911. This is a possibility; and the situation can be even more complicated if there are multiple buildings tied to one phone system through VoIP technology.

The E911 law was enacted to change this.

Among questions explored in the 45-minute webinar will be:

1. What is E911 and why a new law in Michigan?
2. What is required for compliance?
3. Who does this apply to?
4. Is there any ongoing maintenance involved with this?
5. What if we don’t do anything?

The webinar will run from 11 a.m. to noon on March 24. It is free and open to staffers at any MAC member county. To register, click here.

After the March 24 presentation, a recorded version will be placed on the MAC website for 24/7 viewing through the rest of 2020.

Michigan’s 83 counties helped announce an innovative partnership with the state of Michigan and a national nonpartisan research group today to use data to identify best practices for jails.

The Michigan Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration, (#MICJReform) an interbranch, bipartisan body will develop recommendations to expand alternatives to jail, safely reduce jail admissions and length of stay, support crime victims and better align practices with research and constitutional principles, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced today at a press conference at the Hall of Justice in Lansing.

Speaking at the same event, MAC Executive Director Stephan Currie said, “Our focus is specifically on county jails and easing the burden on county budgets. Although created by executive order, this task force puts counties squarely at the center, and we’re very happy to launch this partnership together. We’ll all benefit from studying our practices.”

Click here to watch a video of the event.

Public safety, including jails, constitutes the single largest financial commitment from county governments. As detailed at today’s event:

• National sources show Michigan jail populations have tripled in the last 35 years, growing regardless of whether crime was going up or down.
• With crime now at a 50-year low, hundreds of thousands are still admitted to Michigan jails every year, and people are staying in jail longer on average than before.
• Today, half of the people in Michigan’s local jails are un-convicted and constitutionally presumed innocent while they await trial.
• Many of these individuals are in jail because they cannot afford bail, not necessarily because they are a flight risk or threat to public safety.

The task force will be supported by technical assistance staff from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

“The focus here will be on using data to drive solutions. Everyone is entering this effort with no preconceived notions and we are eager to partner with the state, Pew and others to make Michigan a leader in public safety,” Currie said.

Commissioners and other county leaders can network with legislators, learn tips on drafting capital improvement plans and be briefed on cutting-edge economic development tactics at a MAC Regional Summit this summer.

As usual, MAC will offer the summits at four sites across Michigan:

• June 3 – Grand Rapids (Crowne Plaza)
• June 10 – Escanaba (Quality Inn)
• June 17 – Frankenmuth (Bavarian Inn)
• July 23 – Gaylord (Otsego Resort)

The upcoming MAC Legislative Conference in Lansing March 25-27 will include elections to fill two vacancies on the MAC Board of Directors, plus a membership vote on by-laws revisions put forward by the MAC Board. At a special Business Meeting on Wednesday March 27, attending commissioners will vote on a new by-laws proposal developed after last year’s proposal was rejected at the Annual Conference. The proposed language will be posted to MAC’s website and mailed to all commissioners in early February for their review. The day prior, on Tuesday, March 26, commissioners in counties in MAC’s Region 4 (Clinton, Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Hillsdale, Huron, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Huron, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair and Tuscola) will vote to fill seat vacated by Matthew Bierlein of Tuscola. And all commissioners attending will vote to fill a seat vacated by At-large Director Hugh Crawford of Oakland County. Candidates for either the Region 4 or at-large seat are requested to send a letter of intent to MAC at melot@micounties.org, along with biographical and policy position information they wish to share with voters via MAC’s website. Deadline to ensure proper posting of this material is Feb. 25, 2019. To vote in the elections, you must be a commissioner of a MAC member county who is registered for the conference. For questions, contact Communications Director Derek Melot at melot@micounties.org or 517-372-5374.