Macomb County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Macomb County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant
The county landed a $500,000 no-match EPA grant to assess contaminated sites countywide over the next three to four years, paving the way for redevelopment.
Blue Water Conservation District Partnership Renewal
The Blue Water Conservation District, which covers Macomb, St. Clair, and Sanilac counties, is asking for $15,000 a year (up from $10,000) for five years to keep a farm bill technician helping Macomb landowners with soil conservation and erosion practices.
Clinton River Watershed Health
The watershed council reported serving 3,000+ county residents, monitoring water quality including high salt levels, surveying road-stream crossings for fish passage, and running rain-garden programs to cut stormwater pollution — while Commissioner Perna pressed for more action on combined sewer overflows from the Red Run Drain.
Chapaton Drain Improvement Results
Commissioner Lucido reported that a $40 million ARPA-funded drain upgrade at Chapaton has produced zero overflows into Lake St. Clair since completion — a water quality win.
Countywide recycling requirements
Commissioner Goike reported that 26 of 27 communities backed the county's move to hire a recycling coordinator to meet a state-mandated recycling target of over 35%, with officials aiming to hit the goal without raising fees.
Materials Management Plan contract
The county held a public hearing on its updated solid waste plan, with a resident urging stronger recycling capacity and river cleanup. Written comments are open through February 17, so residents can still weigh in.
Farmland Preservation in Bruce Township
The agricultural PDR program pays farmers to keep land in farming permanently; the Coleman family farm in Richmond Township was this year's state award, and more applications are pending.
Sterling Heights Odor Control Facilities
Commissioners got an update on the new odor-scrubbing facility at Dodge Park and Sorrento that looks like a colonial house — people tried to buy it. With a new one planned for the ITC corridor near a high school, the chronic sewer smell complaints in Sterling Heights are being engineered away.
Dam Safety After the Sheboygan Dam Emergency
Miller used the unfolding Sheboygan Dam crisis to warn that Macomb County has 12 dams, eight of them privately owned — and private owners don't always maintain them. The two highest-hazard public dams are at Stony Creek under the HCMA's care, but the county is watching a problem that hit home during the 2020 Midland dam collapse.
Floodplain conservation land purchase in Macomb Township
The county is going halves with Macomb Township to buy four parcels along 23 Mile and 26 Mile Roads for conservation, including floodplain land funded by a state grant.
Pine Tree Acres Landfill Expansion
The board approved the 2025-2026 amendment to the county's solid waste plan, which now goes to local municipalities — two-thirds must approve before it returns. A Richmond resident said the posted plan was confusing and requested a delay.