HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2008.10.23 - 9620REPORT (misc. #08204) October 23, 2008
BY: General Government Committee, Christine Long, Chairperson
IN RE: MR #08204 - BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS - SUPPORT FOR
ESTABLISHMENT OF ENERGY TRADES INSTITUTE TO TRAIN AND RE-TRAIN
WORKERS FOR MICHIGAN'S FUTURE
To: The Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The General Government Committee, having reviewed the above-referenced
resolution on October 13, 2008, reports with the recommendation that the resolution be
amended, as follows:
1. Amend the 1 st BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED paragraph, as follows:
Be it further resolved that the Oakland County Commission urge& encourages the
State Legislature to app
and a targeted consider funding for targeted investments in-the-2-008-2009-13-uatet
year in order to support the creation of an Energy Trades Institute.
Chairperson. on behalf of the General Government Committee, I move acceptance of
the foregoing report.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
00,1,;„ Lor,t
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE VOTE:
Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Gingell and Clark absent.
MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION # 08204 -
BY: Commissioner Tim Greimel, District #11 and Commissioner Karen Spector, District #16
IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — SUPPORT FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF ENERGY
TRADES INSTITUTE TO TRAIN AND RE-TRAIN WORKERS FOR MICHIGAN'S FUTURE
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies, and Gentlemen:
Whereas, the Michigan Public Service Commission, Michigan's Legislature, and Michigan's
Governor are contemplating enacting reliability requirements for Michigan's electric utility industry
as a result of severe storms in 2008 that resulted in severe losses of electric power, thereby
impacting trade, commerce, and the quality of life for thousands of Michigan residents; and
Whereas, the provision of reliable electrical service and rapid storm response is imperative to the
quality of life of Michigan residents and the productivity of Michigan's public, private, agricultural,
commercial, and industrial sectors; and
Whereas, electrical line workers are the "backbone" of the electric utility industry and perform the
labor required to operate and maintain the electric grid; and
Whereas, electrical line workers labor erecting transmission towers and utility poles and
constructing and repairing the transmission lines that carry electricity from power plants to
distribution lines and, ultimately, to commercial, industrial, and residential customers is critical to
our country and our state's quality of life: and
Whereas, these line workers perform one of the most dangerous professions and receive wages
that are among the highest in the world for jobs that do not require a college education; and
Whereas, there are only an estimated 50.000 line workers across the country; and
Whereas, DTE Energy only has an estimated 1,500 electrical workers, and Consumers Power
only has an estimated 500 electrical line workers;
Whereas, the rapid retirement of America's skilled trade workforce in the energy sector is a
critical quality of life issue for the nation; and
Whereas, the 78 million individuals born between 1946 and 1964 who comprise the "Baby Boom
Generation" comprise about 45% of the overall American workforce, but close to 70% of the
skilled energy trades workforce; and
Whereas, an estimated 40% of Michigan's line worker labor force will approach retirement within
3 to 5 years from now; and
Whereas, the most recent Energy Policy Act Report to Congress estimated that there is a
national shortage of line workers of 10,000 people and stated that the shortage of qualified
potential employees could limit the nation's ability to maintain and or increase electricity supply,
potentially impacting the economic and national security of the United States: and
Whereas, by staking out a leadership position as America's leader in pre-apprentice and energy
skilled trades training, Michigan sets the stage to make a compelling case for federal funding to
assist in addressing the national electric line worker labor shortage and creating skilled trade
opportunities to re-train a highly skilled unemployed Michigan workforce and create thousands of
new high wage jobs.
Now therefore be it resolved that the Oakland County Commission hereby endorses the
establishment of an Energy Trades Institute through a public-private-organized labor partnership
between the State of Michigan, Michigan's , electric uttlity industry, and the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in order to aggressively establish Michigan as a national
training ground for not only electrical Me workers, but all of the emerging energy trades.
Commissioner Tim Greimel
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Be it further resolved that the Oakland County Commission urges the State Legislature to
appropriate unused job training dollars in the current fiscal year and a targeted investment in the
2008-2009 budget year in order to support the creation of an Energy Trades Institute;
Be it further resolved that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby requests the
Oakland County Clerk to forward copies of this adopted resolution to Governor Jennifer
Granholm, members of the Oakland County delegation to the Michigan legislature, the Michigan
Association of Counties. DTE Energy, Consumers Power, the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers and Oakland County's legislative lobbyists.
Chairperson, we move the adoption of the foregoing Resolution.
Commissioner
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Resolution #08204 September 18, 2008
The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no
objections.
Resolution #08204
Moved by Long supported by Greirnel the resolution be adopted.
Moved by Long supported by Greimel the General Government Committee Report be accepted.
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the report was accepted.
Moved by Long supported by Greirnel the resolution be amended to coincide with the recommendation in
the General Government Committee Report.
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the amendment carried.
Vote on resolution, as amended:
AYES: Gershenson, Gingell, Gosselin, Gregory, Greirnel, Hatchett, Jacobsen, KowaII, Long,
Middleton, Nash, Potter, Potts, Rogers. Scott, Spector, Woodward, Zack, Bullard, Burns, Coulter,
Crawford, Douglas. (23)
NAYS: None. (0)
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the resolution, as amended, was adopted.
October 23, 2008
I HEREBY APPROVE THE FOREGO RESOLUTION
ACTING PURSUANT TO 1973 PA 139
STATE OF MICHIGAN}
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, Ruth Johnson, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certIfy that the foregoing resolution is a true
and accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on October
23, 2008, with the original record thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the County of Oakland at
Pontiac, Michigan this 23rd day of October, 2008.
gat
Ruth Johnson. County Clerk