MAC COVID-19 Update
Set up your FEMA grants account by April 30

The Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division of the Michigan State Police would like all counties seeking reimbursement for COVID-19 related expenses to obtain a FEMA grants portal account and submit a request for public assistance by April 30 so they can get an idea on how many applicants they will have.

Each county in Michigan who has eligible Category B, Emergency Protective Measures work in direct response to COVID-19 and wishes to seek reimbursement must create its own account and submit its own request.

They have also provided the following documents to assist in the process:


Later this week, the State Police will announce the dates and times for virtual webinars to explain the process and documents for seeking reimbursements. The briefing will give potential applicants a high-level overview of the Public Assistance Grant Program to include:

  • Application procedures
  • Project funding
  • Administrative requirements
  • Procurement requirements
  • Environmental and historic preservation (EHP) compliance requirements
  • General eligibility criteria
  • Documentation requirements
  • Record-keeping

To obtain maximum benefit from the information presented at the briefing, counties should have representatives from its management, emergency response, public works, and accounting/finance/procurement operations and designate a primary point of contact to interact with the recipient and FEMA. Additional information on the Public Assistance Grant Program can be found in the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (PAPPG) .

For more information, contact Deena Bosworth at bosworth@micounties.org.
State budget talk starts final week of Virtual Conference

Eric Scorsone, one of Michigan’s leading fiscal experts on local and state government, will lead a workshop at 11 a.m. on Tuesday as part of MAC’s 2020 Virtual Legislative Conference.

To pre-register to attend, click here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Scorsone rejoined Michigan State University in 2011 as a fixed-term Extension specialist,  State and Local Government Program, in the Department of Agricultural, Food And Resource Economics. He also worked at MSU from 2005 to 2010. Prior to working at MSU in 2005, he served as an economist for the Colorado Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budget and as a senior economist for the city of Aurora, Colo.

Unfortunately, the Wednesday conference event, a discussion with Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, had to be canceled due to the legislative session now set for that day.

The final event of the conference will be a keynote address at 11 a.m. Thursday by Matt Chase, executive director of the National Association of Counties, who will discuss the latest on Capitol Hill on federal aid for counties. To pre-register for Chase’s speech, click here.

Members may view any of the conference’s events by using links found on the conference page.
April edition of Michigan Counties looks at 'Counties in Corona'

The new edition of MAC’s enewsletter, Michigan Counties , provides a special section on Michigan’s response to the coronavirus crisis.

In regular features:

  • Ingham Clerk Barb Byrum reviews the demands of increasing mail-in voting on our election apparatus (Affiliate Corner)
  • Attorney Christian Mullet of the firm of Cohl, Stoker & Toskey goes over what a pending case before the Michigan Supreme Court might mean for the Freedom of Information Act (Expert Corner)
  • Muskegon County invests in greater IT capabilities for itself and others (Best Practices)
  • Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Jackson) and Sen. Jim Ananich (D-Flint) participate in our Legislator Q&A

The current and previous editions of the newsletter can be seen on our website.
MDOC: Masks recommended for jail inmates, but they are not required

Several counties had inquired about how the governor’s new Executive Order (59) applied to jail inmates.

MAC asked the Department of Corrections for guidance and was told:

“It is recommended that prisoners and staff wear masks at all times, but it is not a requirement as part of our review of jail protocols and inspections, nor is it a specific requirement of the Executive Order.

“The only thing that is required is that prisoners and staff utilize proper PPE including masks if they are in proximity of a confirmed or suspected case. The MDOC has provided masks to all of our prisoners and staff, but we also have the means or producing these types of masks within our operations, while most Sheriffs would not.

“It is just important that they secure the appropriate equipment for prisoners and staff if there is a confirmed or suspected case to help keep everyone safe.”
Governor extends jails EO to May 24

A new Executive Order (62) by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer renews a prior one designed to protect populations in jails, prisons and juvenile facilities from the threat of COVID-19.

The order was issued on Sunday and will be effective through the end of May 24. It replaces EO 29.