Lessons From Top-performing Water Utilities
This report examines the business models of some innovative water utilities and how their state partners have helped or hindered their efforts.
Economic Impact of Trail Development
St. Clair County has a rare opportunity to substantially advance its trail network due to a confluence of events that will likely result in both an infusion of funding and an increased focus on development from regional and statewide trail organizations. To best position the region for success, the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, […]
Insuring More for Michigan
The insurance industry in Michigan is known for helping residents and businesses protect themselves from catastrophic losses, health crises, and financial losses. The industry provides insurance for homes, buildings, automobiles, health, individual and group life, and retirement products. But the insurance industry is not just there when something goes wrong; they are there every day […]
The Economic Benefits of Nonprofits
By most measures, Michigan is in the middle of an economic turnaround, following an exceptionally severe economic downturn in the early 2000s caused by a combination of Michigan’s lost decade and the national Great Recession. Nonprofits have both contributed to and benefited from this comeback, playing an integral role as the state settles into the […]
Changes in Michigan’s Child Care Landscape
Access to child care is critical for families. While many parents stay home with their children by choice, others may be forced to leave their job if child care is unavailable. This is not a small issue. The inability to work due to trouble accessing child care that meets their needs can keep families stuck […]
Making Child Care a Regional Priority
To better understand the current state of child care in northwest lower Michigan and how the community can improve access and affordability, Networks Northwest partnered with Public Sector Consultants (PSC) to analyze available data and interview leaders across Prosperity Region 2—comprising Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford Counties—about how […]
Michigan Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
Michigan offers a wide range of outdoor recreation activities, from the traditional (e.g., camping, hunting, hiking, cycling, fishing, photography, birdwatching, snowmobiling, and off-road vehicle [ORV] riding) to activities that are seeing significant gains in national participation (e.g., adventure racing, kayak fishing, cross-country skiing, fat-tire biking, standup paddling, and other silent sports and backcountry activities) (Outdoor […]
An Assessment of Failing Septic Systems in the Saginaw Bay Region
Throughout Michigan and in the Saginaw Bay region, failing septic systems are often identified as a potential source of pollution that contributes to public and environmental health concerns. However, information is often lacking to determine the extent to which septic systems are impacting the environment. When properly designed, sited, installed, and maintained, septic systems provide […]
What kills more Michiganders — guns, cars or opioids?
You can’t escape it; nearly every day there is a disturbing report or news story warning us about the worst drug crisis in American history — the rampant opioid epidemic. Recognizing that no state, city or town is immune, Public Sector Consultants (PSC) embarked late last year on a one-of-kind project with the Michigan Community […]
Improving the Lives of Young Children and Their Families
Starting Early PSC helps more than 100 participants reach agreement on alternatives to Section 298. Although Michigan had always had numerous programs and services designed to help our youngest children succeed, they were often uncoordinated and difficult to find, and too frequently failed to serve children and families well. Therefore, in 2011, Gov. Rick Snyder […]