In this issue:
Michael D. Homier - For Municipal Officials and Administrators - Issue One
Nearly thirty years ago, I sat in my first township board meeting as outside legal counsel. What struck me that night wasn’t the weight of the legal questions — and they are weighty, shaped by statutes that change with every legislative session and the pressures of land use that no one fully anticipated a generation ago. It was the people at that table. They had jobs, families and businesses. And yet, there they were, giving their Tuesday evenings to their community. That image has stayed with me ever since...
Michael D. Homier
April 21, 2026 from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm in Michigan CD Room
Join Foster Swift's Business Solutions Session at the 2026 MTA Conference. Gain a practical perspective of some of the hottest topics facing Michigan townships in 2026 including—but not limited to—data centers, wind and solar energy, the latest on zoning, land use and other topics suggested by session attendees.
This session is located in the Michigan CD Room. While anyone may attend, lunch is guaranteed only to the first 100 who RSVP to Jake Leuvoy at jleuvoy@fosterswift.com or (517) 371-8125. Stop by our Booth #708 at the conference expo.
Julie L. Hamlet, Amanda J. Dernovshek and Mindi M. Johnson
This article provides a high-level overview of the most common retirement plan structures used by governmental employers, including defined benefit pension plans, 457(b) deferred compensation plans, 401(a) defined contribution plans, and hybrid approaches that combine elements of these structures...
April 22, 2026 from 3:00 - 4:15 pm at MTA Conference
Speaker: Laura J. Genovich
Cut through the clutter! This session will help you sharpen your plain-language skills so your contracts, policies and ordinances say what you mean. We’ll share practical techniques for saying more with less, and making documents concise, enforceable and easy to understand. You’ll walk away ready to simplify complex clauses, avoid common pitfalls and reduce misinterpretation before it begins.
Michael D. Homier, Laura J Genovich
Townships across Michigan are facing a new level of development pressure—far beyond what we saw during the early waves of wind and solar siting. Industrial‑scale data centers are now targeting rural communities, bringing enormous demands on local infrastructure, emergency services, utilities, and land‑use systems.
Yahoo! News
Quincy Township officials approved hiring Foster Swift Collins & Smith on March 4 to assist with a proposed utility-scale battery energy storage facility on Boone Road.
For the third consecutive meeting, residents filled the Quincy village meeting room to oppose the project.
In late 2025, EDF Renewables announced plans to build a 180-megawatt battery storage facility on 45 acres, with 20–25 acres fenced for battery containers, south of the railroad tracks on Boone Road by 2030.
After Foster Swift attorney Keith Brown's presentation, Township Supervisor Kurt Barve said, “We're going to throw everything we can at it. We could lose. I want to walk away knowing we did everything possible to help resolve the situation.”
Lansing
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Southfield
Grand Rapids
Detroit
Holland
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