Stay ConnectedFor nearly 150 episodes, the Michigan Municipal League podcast brought you insightful interviews on municipal innovations and politics.
Now, this is where you can listen to posts from our blog, People & Place, as well as listen to previous Live with the League shows.
Read our blog here: https://mml.org/resources-research/blogs/
Watch previous Live with the League videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@MichiganMunicipalLeague
Copyright: © Copyright 2017 All rights reserved.
Boasting more than 40 coffee shops, the City of Dearborn realized it had a unique identity to share with the rest of the state. With a bit of DDA money and a lot of support from local businesses and stakeholders, Dearborn Coffee Week has grown from a small neighborhood festival to a significant cultural and commercial draw.
Kalamazoo’s Foundation for Excellence is a municipal endowment—the only one of its kind—made possible by an anonymous donation. Since 2017, this publicly accountable fund has been used for property tax cuts, housing development, youth programs, and other City initiatives benefiting Kalamazoo residents.
After nearly a century of neglect, the Carbide Dock in Sault Ste. Marie was falling into the water. With funding and collaboration from federal, state, and local stakeholders, the dock is now a thriving hub of commercial, educational, and resident activity.
Today, we’re talking about a litany of Lansing happenings of interest to League members, including our recent testimony on a package of tax reform bills, the Senate passage of the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund, and what’s going on with the budget. We also call upon all League members to reach out to their legislators and urge them to oppose House Bills 5529–5532 and 5581–5585. Make your voices heard on local decision-making!
The beloved Wolf’s Prairie Playground in the Village of Berrien Springs had reached the end of its life. To create its successor, the Village enlisted local children to draw their ideas. The resulting hand-sculped, inclusive fantasyland features a kayak, a life-size campfire, and—of course—a zipline.
In 2025, the City of Port Huron purchased an inert community center from the Housing Commission. The now-revitalized Harvey Center is run by a joint committee of residents, nonprofits, and the City, bringing a slate of community-driven programming to its Southside neighborhood.
The Village of Holly’s historic Union Depot was in the way of railroad development and slated for destruction. Through a campaign crowdfunding and civic engagement, the Village put the Depot on wheels and rolled it out of the way of danger.
Today’s show features a packed update on what’s going on at the Capitol, tracking several key issues moving through the Legislature. Plus, a look back at last week’s Legislative Reception and some of the advocacy conversations happening right now with lawmakers.
This week on Live with the League, we discuss the many rewards and benefits of winning the League’s prestigious Community Excellence Award (CEA)—along with some practical advice on getting started—with Eric Waara, City Manager for the City of Houghton; and Mona Lang, consulting director for the City of Negaunee’s DDA. We then pivot to an update on what’s been going on in Lansing.
Interested in sharing your community’s placemaking successes for a chance to take home the CEA cup? Be sure to submit your project by April 17, 2026!
On this week's Live with the League grab bag, we’ll be covering the recently concluded CapCon 2026, a conference at the National League of Cities, some election bill updates, and—of course—everyone's favorite topic: housing.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
