A New Approach to Fund Watershed Management: An Evaluation of Funding Mechanisms
A New Approach to Fund Watershed Management: An Evaluation of Funding Mechanisms. Client: Macatawa Area Coordinating Council. Contact: Kelly Goward, Watershed Project Manager, 301 Douglas Ave., Holland, MI 49424. 616-395-2688, [email protected] Watershed management is a collaborative, comprehensive process that assesses conditions and implements land use and water management practices for protecting and improving the quality and quantity of watershed…
Flat River Watershed Management Plan: Natural River Zoning Review
Flat River Watershed Management Plan: Natural River Zoning Review. Client: Kent Conservation District. Contact: Connie Redding, (former) Executive Director, 3260 Eagle Park Dr. NE #111, Grand Rapids, MI 49525, 616-942-4111, [email protected] Public Sector Consultants (PSC), in partnership with Streamside Ecological Services, was hired by the Kent Conservation District to support the development of the Flat…
How do you build a better child care system? With greater investment and pure determination
Every day, parents across Michigan make difficult decisions about who will care for their children. What moms and dads want is a safe place where their kids are happy, healthy and learning; however, what they can afford or find is often much different. The question is, as a parent, how do you choose? Which of…
Updated Electric Industry Deregulation: Ohio Case Study
In the late 1990s, several states, including Michigan, began deregulating their electric utility markets in the hopes that competition in the gen-eration and sale of electricity would drive down consumer prices. The enthusiasm for deregulation had waned in Michigan, but discussions around electric market choice are regaining momentum. Legislation currently under discussion in the Michigan…
PSC’s research tells the story of URC’s impact on Detroit
To increase the area’s prosperity, the University Research Corridor (URC) has been actively engaged in Detroit-focused research projects and initiatives for a number of years. But are its efforts working? Watch this narrative video to learn how PSC harnessed its research and analysis skills to help answer that question. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTRr0Ch7fbs&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fpublicsectorconsultants.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY
Building a Better Child Care System
Every day parents across Michigan make difficult decisions about who will care for their children when they go to school and to work. Some choose center-based programs. Others select providers who care for children in the provider’s home. Yet others choose to have family, friends, or neighbors care for their children. Regardless of the provider…
Impact of Increasing Education and Employment Rates in West Michigan
Today, unemployment in West Michigan is below 4 percent, suggesting a very strong underlying economy, and the region ranks high in several national studies of growth and quality of life. However, West Michigan still faces significant challenges. A skills mismatch has left many employers struggling to fill positions, even while working-age adults cannot find work or fail to…
Michigan’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry: Economic Contribution
[vc_row cMichigan’s oil and natural gas industry plays an important role in Michigan’s economy creating tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of income for Michigan residents. In 2014, 62 of Michigan’s 83 counties produced oil and/or natural gas, and historically, 65 of Michigan’s counties have had production. Of Michigan’s 83 counties, 82…
Evaluation of the Michigan Energy Assistance Program: Successes and Options for Improvement
Michigan’s energy assistance programs support hundreds of thousands of low-income households each year. For many, these programs are the difference between heating their homes on the coldest of winter nights and having their services disconnected. Recognizing the need for a sustainable energy assistance model, in 2013, the state’s legislature created the Michigan Energy Assistance Program…
Q&A: PSC’s Jon Beard discusses how much Michigan should be spending on its water infrastructure
Unseen infrastructure, such as water pipes, is vital despite going unnoticed. That’s why Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association enlisted PSC to determine how much Michigan was investing in its underground infrastructure and whether that investment was sufficient to meet necessary repairs and replacements.