State's mayors converging in Grand Haven

Sat, Jul 25, 2009    to del.icio.us

Mayors from across Michigan are coming to Grand Haven Aug. 5-7 for the annual Michigan Association of Mayors conference.

The site of the conference travels to a new city each year, according to Adrian Mayor Gary McDowell, the association's president. He said Grand Haven should be a great place for the state's mayors to visit and learn about.

"I think, for one thing, it's a beautiful place to go," McDowell said. "It lends itself to a conference. There's plenty of activities — and the lake, of course, is right there."

Around 80-100 mayors attended last year's conference in Utica, according to McDowell. Other recent sites include Frankenmuth and Manistee, according to Grand Haven Mayor Roger Bergman.

Bergman will welcome the mayors with a speech Wednesday before the group goes to Waterfront Stadium for the free American Winds Symphony Orchestra concert and a Musical Fountain performance.

On Thursday, they will convene at the Grand Haven Community Center for classes on parks, grants and community assets. In the afternoon, the mayors will take a trolley tour of the city before gathering for a reception and dinner.

The conference ends Friday morning after a breakfast, although Bergman invited the mayors and their spouses to stay extra days before or after the event.

"It is great for Grand Haven to be able to host mayors from all over the state," Bergman said.

McDowell said the conference should be rewarding to the mayors, but also to the host city.

"It's an opportunity for Grand Haven, too, because it increases awareness of what is going on in the city," he said. "Hopefully, it will benefit merchants and businesses, and the mayors will see positive things and want to come back."

Bergman said he's only been a member of the Michigan Association of Mayors for three years, but so far it's been worthwhile.

"It's good for networking with fellow mayors and seeing what they deal with," Bergman said. "We compare notes on running meetings and working with staff."

According to the Michigan Municipal League's Web site, the Michigan Association of Mayors will pay $150 to attend the conference and nonmembers will pay $210.

On the Net:

www.mml.org