Brownfield Properties, Farmland Preservation, Zoo Millage, Contract % Increases, and Local Purchasing

This was another week of committees for me - County Services and Finance. We passed a limited tax pledge for Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Bonds. These are bonds for our Brownfield plan that our Land Bank uses, and is the second time we are passing one of these. In 2007, we passed a pledge of $1.975 million for the countywide plan. At that time, as you know, the world was a vastly different place. It was before the economy really tanked with the bankruptcies of the auto companies, and before foreclosures really started to increase. The development from the first tax pledge has not come about as quickly as hoped. As such, we could be short on the debt service for next year, which will be covered by this resolution. This situation is not unique to the Land Bank Brownfield plan, though, as many tax increment finance (TIF) districts throughout the state are facing this. Treasurer Schertzing tells us, though, that many things are looking up on development front. This second bond will also cover additional parcels which are better and more likely to bring in dollars to the county. They are more conservative projections. Commissioner Brian McGrain, who sits on the County Economic Development Board, said that they spent a lot of time on this and that it is a well thought-out and conservative plan. The plan also includes more commercial properties, which usually bring in more revenue.

The committees also passed a resolution allowing three farms to use money from our Farmland Preservation millage in order to have development rights purchased. We will be receiving about $600,000 in matching dollars, so 50% of the total are ingham dollars and 50% is match money. The three farms are next to protected state farmland (protected in 2000), so about 900 acres total will be preserved.

In County Services, we had before us a resolution supporting the zoo millage. While I do support the zoo millage, I questioned whether a public body such as the Board of Commissioners could pass a resolution in support of a millage quesiton. Commissioner Vic Celentino agreed with my concern and pointed out that we have been told we could not do this in the past. Commissioner Grebner said that this is unnecessary because just putting it on the ballot means we are asking voters to vote for it (which I don't know if I wholly agree with). Commissioner Copedge said that he was uncomfortable with the resolution and that each commissioner should be able to support or oppose the measure on their own. Commissioner Vickers said that he supports the zoo, but not at .41 mills and he thought the resolution was not a good idea. The resolution was not taken up for a vote.

The Finance Committee passed a resolution on cost increases for services related to contracts in Ingham County. This year, we have seen several vendors come to us and ask for large yearly percentage increases for their services. You may recall, this boiled over a few weeks ago when Harris (our 911 vendor) asked for 5% increases each year for several years. We decided to draft a policy that will be provided to vendors saying that increases should be limited 1% (which is the amount that county employees have received for raises). Should vendors want higher increases, they will face increased scrutiny and could potentially be dropped for other vendors. The CPI this year was -.07%, which shows that costs are not going up and we believe that this policy is a good one to direct staff as they negotiate contact renewals.

Finally, County Services had a good discussion about our "local purchasing preference" policy. This was the second discussion about this topic. There are concerns that the current policy - allowing county vendors to match any bids that are within 5% of their bid - isn't really working in terms of keeping county dollars in the county. Apparently, there were only two vendors who used the policy in 2009. Controller Lannoye put several potential options before us:

• Keep existing policy.
• Increase the 5% threshold to 7% or 10%.
• Expand the definition of a RLV beyond the county border to contiguous counties.
• Allow a preference for RLVs which are within 5% of the lowest responsive bid without having to match the lowest responsive bid.
• Develop local preference tiers. Example might include the following: within 2% of low bid they do not have to match low bid, between 2-5% they are given opportunity to reduce their price to no more than 2% of low bid, and between 5-7% they are given the opportunity to match low bid.
• Allow existing contracts with RLVs to be renewed without bidding, provided the renewal increase is equal to or lower than the current CPI.
• Require that any bid process that does not include at least three (3) local vendors be rebid.

The committee came to a consensus that the 5% range should be increased to 10%. That was the only item we could agree on. I am uncomfortable with giving preference to out-of-county businesses because those businesses do not pay Ingham County property taxes and this would be an unfair advantage to those companies over Ingham companies. Others were uncomfortable with many of the other options. So we agreed that the 5% should go to 10%. That, at least, would have qualified 4 more businesses in 2009 and is a step in the right direction.

I still hope to put out an elections blog with the candidates...maybe next week!

Travel Policy, Dog Park Delayed Again, Zoo Millage

Sorry for the late blog posting this week. It has been a VERY busy week for me. So here we go…

This week was a week when the full Board of Commissioners met. The only resolution that proved controversial was a resolution amending the travel policy. The current travel policy requires Commissioners to sign off on any out-of-state travel before it can happen. This has caused a problem because it can take from 2-4 weeks, and it is costing the county more money to delay travel purchases until the last minute. Staff came to the Commissioners and asked if sign-off can be given by the Controller and the Board Chair, instead of having to wait until the appreciate committee meets and can take action. The resolution also prohibited people from changing hotel or airfare without the approval of a Department head. Finally, it required people to use the Capital Region airport unless a ticket can be found for a materially lower rate at a neighboring airport (including parking and mileage).

In County Services committee, I had several questions about the approval process. I believe that the elected officials need to review these travel requests to ensure that staff are not taking unnecessary trips. I asked several questions that staff could not adequately answer. As such, I voted against this in County Services (it passed 4-2). In Finance, though, staff were able to adequately answer the questions. They proposed adding a quarterly report of staff travel so that Commissioners can see what the travel was for (the same way we see them now). It was also pointed out that Commissioners have not yet denied a travel request because these requests are vetted through the Department Director and the County Controller before going before the Commissioners. I was satisfied with these answers and voted in support in Finance, and the resolution passed unanimously.

When this was considered on the Board floor, the three Republicans voted against it. To be honest, I am not sure why. Commissioner Don Vickers remained consistent because he opposed it in County Services. I can only assume that he didn’t hear the clarifications that I heard in Finance. Commissioner Steve Dougan voted against the resolution on the Board floor after flip-flopping from his supportive vote of the resolution in Finance committee. None of the Republicans debated this or explained why they don’t want to save the county money…they just voted against it. I kind of wish they would explain why they opposed it. But it was not to be.

The often-discussed gate for the Soldan Dog Park was again put on hold. As I reported last week, the yearly fee was reduced to $30 and I was able to support this because residents can pay the same amount that they are paying now if they park in the northern Ingham Regional lot. Apparently, the City of Lansing wanted the resolution pulled because they did not have a chance to review the request. We agreed to table it for two weeks while the City reviews the resolution. Hopefully, we can be done with this in two weeks and it can move forward when the City signs the agreement.

Otherwise, the Board meeting was fairly subdued. We used the consent agenda to pass updates to our Brownfield plan to cleanup more properties, we approved the annual Health Department health services resolution, we reauthorized a position in the Clerk’s office, and a variety of other things. You can review the agenda from the meeting here.
http://www.ingham.org/BC/BC/101012Board.pdf

Finally, for anyone interested, the Yes to the Potter Park Zoo millage campaign has a new website - http://www.yestopotterparkzoo.com/.

I hope to put together another election preview before the general election and will get that out if possible.

Have a great weekend!

Dog Park Fees, Clerk Reorganization, Health Department Services

Another busy week at the county. Long meetings Tuesday and Wednesday night for me.

First, an update on an old issue…the Soldan Dog Park. As you may recall, the Friends of the Dog Park came to the county and the city and asked for a gate to be installed. People would have to pay yearly fees for fobs or cards to get into the gate. This would ensure that (1) there is better security, (2) dogs are licensed, (3) attacks by dogs on other dogs or on people can be investigated, and has a variety of other benefits. Currently, there is no way to police these things because nether the county or the city (which owns the park) provides security, and there is no way to determine who is there and when.

The original proposal would have set the yearly pass rate at $40. After talking to several dog park users, I realized a few things – this fee is supported by people but is too high, and people do not know that the dog park can be accessed on the north side without having to pay for the Hawk Island parking. In County Services committee, I supported an amendment preventing Ingham County from contributing to the Dog Park gate unless the fee is set at $30 instead of $40. This would match the fee of the dog park to the fee of Hawk Island (both are $30). The amendment passed and was retained in the Finance Committee. I also asked the Parks Director to have the signage announcing the new fee to also include language alerting people that they can park in the Ingham Regional Medical lot for free and not have to pay the Hawk Island charge just to use the dog park. So, anyone using only the dog park will not have to may a new fee next year. Instead of paying the $30 for the Hawk Island yearly pass, they can pay $30 for the Soldan Dog Park yearly pass and park at Ingham Regional. Of course, anyone who wants to use Hawk Island Park as well as the Soldan Dog Park will have to pay for both. Users of the dog park can expect the gate to be up in January, assuming the full Board passes the resolution on Tuesday, and the City of Lansing and the Friends of the Dog Park agree with the reduced rate.

We also approved a reorganization of the County Clerk’s office this week. This resolution, submitted to us by Clerk Bryanton, reclassifies a Chief Deputy /Interdepartmental Relations position to a Clerical Services Supervisor position. It also eliminates a Deputy Clerk position. The move would increase office efficiency and saves the county approximately $75,000 per year through decreased salaries and fringe benefits. This will not result in a layoff because it will become effective on the date of retirement of the current Chief Deputy /Interdepartmental Relations.

Finally, I will report on a resolution that we passed dealing with health services for county residents. It is very common for people to ask me what a County Commissioner does. One of things I tell people is that we set policy for various departments, including the Health Department. Our Health Department is one of the best in the country. The resolution that we passed this week outlines many of the activities of the Health Department.

Under the Public Health Code, the State of Michigan and the 83 counties share responsibility for the protection of the public health of the citizens of Michigan. Ingham County has a Comprehensive Planning, Budgeting and Contracting (CPBC) process, and every year we authorize the Health Department to enter into an agreement with the Michigan Department of Community Health for the delivery of public health services under this process. The agreement serves as the vehicle for the county accepting almost $5 million in state and federal grant and formula funding to support a number of public
health services.

This year, the agreement includes the following local public health operations, community health assessment activities and categorical programs:
- AIDS/HIV Prevention and Care
- Lead Safe Homes
- Bioterrorism Emergency Preparedness
- Breast and Cervical Cancer Control
- Building Healthy Communities
- Children’s Special Health Care Services
- Family Planning Vision and Hearing Screening
- Food Vendor and Restaurant Inspection
- Immunizations
- Local Tobacco Reduction
- Maternal and Child Health Programs
- Tuberculosis Control
- Sexually Transmitted Disease Control
- Well and Septic Inspection
- The Women, Infant, Children (WIC) Program

The resolution also authorizes subcontracts in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program. Additionally, it creates a new full-time Breast Feeding Consultant in the Health Department. These all consist of state and federal funds.

Service contracts are also authorized in the resolution, with the following list of providers to support outreach activities to potential and current Medicaid beneficiaries in the following categories:
- Medicaid Outreach and Public Awareness
- Facilitating Medicaid Eligibility Determination
- Program Planning, Policy Development and Interagency Coordination Related to Medicaid Services
- Referral, Coordination and Monitoring of Medicaid Services
- Medicaid-Specific Training on Outreach Eligibility and Services
- Arranging for Medicaid-related Transportation and Provision of Medicaid-related Translation

These service contracts braid together requirements and funds from multiple sources including the County, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Medicaid Administration (Federal Share). The braided service contracts are authorized for the next year up to the amounts listed:
• Allen Neighborhood Center $115,487 ($102,987 for outreach; $12,500 for Planning/Coordination to strengthen social safety net in the community)
• NorthWest Initiative $115,487 ($102,987 for outreach; $12,500 for Planning/Coordination to strengthen social safety net in the community)
• Carefree Medical Clinic $10,800
• South Lansing Community Development Association $24,952
• South Side Community Coalition $103,086
• Capital Area Community Services $4,000
• Child Abuse Prevention Services $52,250
• Catholic Charities St. Vincent Home $128,250
• Cristo Rey $61,750
• Family and Community Development Services $105,000
• Greater Lansing African American Health Institute $77,904
• School Community Health Alliance of Michigan $539,006

911 Dispatch System Costs, Hiring Freeze, 911 Dispatch Center Ready for Construction

The County Board of Commissioners met last night. While there were several significant issues on the agenda, only one turned out to be controversial.

We considered a resolution that would extend the contract with the company that maintains the county emergency 911 dispatch system. As faithful readers of this blog may recall, several years ago the county approved a new emergency dispatch 911 system that was paid for with 911 millage dollars. The system went from an inefficient analog system to what was supposed to be a much better digital system. We looked at various proposals and, in the end, chose M/A Com to install and maintain the system. Over the course of that contract, many problems arose. There were significant problems with 911 dispatch calls dropped in the southwest part of Lansing, resulting in police officers having to use cell phones instead of radios and in increased staffing needed. The company technically met the qualifications of the contract, and the Board of Commissioners was very upset that M/A Com would not fix the problem without a significant purchase from the county. In the end, the county paid but also received discounted maintenance.

Fast forward to last night. The Board considered a resolution that would extend the maintenance contract with Harris (which was formerly M/A Com). The contract originally proposed by Harris called for a 7% increase in the first year and 3% increases in years two through five. The company’s argument was that they had more equipment to maintain because of the problems that we needed to fix in southwest Lansing. County staff told the company that this amount was too high, and Harris agreed to lower this to 5% then 3% for the balance (for a total of about $1.5 million over 5 years). When this came before the Board in Finance last week, the committee still thought that was too high but the company was only willing to discount this another $15,000.

When it came before the Board last night, I strenuously objected to this amount. The County has had $7-8 million dollar deficits and our tax collections have been going down. We have questioned every vendor about why we should be paying 3% or more when inflation is not at that amount and County revenues are not going up at that rate. I reminded commissioners that Harris received increases of 5.5% over the last two years as part of the current contract, and expressed opposition to the resolution before us. Several Commissioners agreed and we had a good discussion and debate about what we could do to reduce this amount.

During debate staff alerted us that the contract ends on Friday, and if we don’t extend it we would have no one to service the contract for 911 dispatch. That made many of us very mad because it seemed as if we were being backed into a corner and would have to approve this contract. I proposed a shorter renewal time so we could work out a new rate with the company, but logistically that was not possible. I then worked with Commissioner Grebner to craft language that creates a 90-day termination clause, and language that instructs staff to get a better rate from the company. If the company refuses to provide a better rate, we have instructed staff to start a bid process to ask other companies for competitive prices to maintain the system. This passed unanimously. So the county agreed to the contact for now, but will look at others who can provide this service and will change systems if Harris doesn’t come down with the rates. Even though the system now seems to be working, I am again very disappointed in this company and expect that we will revisit this again soon.

In other action, the Board took steps to close our budget gap for next year (2011 calendar year) by passing a hiring freeze. The county currently has a hiring freeze for all positions supported by the general fund. The resolution passed last night will extend that through December 2011, and will include all county positions. Department Heads will be able to request waivers to the hiring freeze when necessary from the County Services Committee. The Controller/Administrator will also have authority to exempt positions from the hiring freeze in cases where positions are funded primarily from non-general fund sources. This resolution will minimize the affect of anticipated position reductions in 2011 and years after, and will free up more county positions for employees that could be laid off. It would also provide more vacant positions to be evaluated for additional permanent position reductions.

The Board also last night passed the final resolution needed to get the new 911 dispatch started for construction by authorizing the Building Authority to contract with the Architect/Engineering (A/E) and Construction Management (CM) Firms to begin the design process for the Ingham County Consolidated 911 Dispatch Center. We also approved $500,000 from 911 Funds for preliminary costs associated with this project. As previously reported, the Ingham County Consolidated 911 Dispatch Center site has been approved to be located on County owned land just west of the CMH property on Jolly Road in Lansing. We expect the project to cost about $5.2 million ($4,000,000 for the building and $1.2 Million to equip the facility and establish a contingency fund). We have also worked out all the legacy cost agreements with Lansing and East Lansing, so it seems that we are now ready to finalize constructions costs through our PLA policy and begin construction. Yay!

Tonight the Finance Committee meets and will finalize the budget to be presented to the Board of Commissioners. I will report on in a future blog when the budget is considered by the full Board. I also have two other committees meeting next week. October is shaping up to be a busy month (and that doesn’t include the election coming up!).

Special Guest Blogger: Commissioner Bahar-Cook on Judicial and Juvenile Justice Issues

This week, I have as a special guest blogger Commissioner Rebecca Bahar-Cook. I have known her for many years and treasure her as a colleague and as a friend. She is one of the brightest people I know, especially in the areas of the judiciary and juvenile justice needs in Ingham County, and her constituents in downtown and NW Lansing are lucky to have her service. So without further ado, I give you Ingham County Commissioner Rebecca Baher-Cook!

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Hello all! My name is Rebecca Bahar-Cook and I have the pleasure of being the second guest blogger for Commissioner Schor. I too, serve on the County Commission and have the privilege of representing the 4^th District, which covers NW Lansing including our downtown.

Commissioner McGrain filled you in what is going on in the County’s Human Services Department. I’d like to let you know a little bit more about our Judiciary and some amazing programs Ingham County has developed to better handle our at-risk and adjudicated juvenile population.

When I was 15-years-old my father was shot and killed by two youth under the age of 18 – the only things they took were his watch and his wallet. As you can imagine, that was a terrible tragedy for my family.

But, my family wasn’t the only one affected by this crime – so were the families of the two young boys who committed the crime. Neither of them were first offenders and I imagine neither of them thought they had very many options open to them.

I strongly believe that the citizens of Ingham County would want to prevent such a crime from taking place here. And that is exactly the purpose of the Juvenile Justice Millage (JJM) the voters of Ingham County have twice passed. All too often children who show at-risk behavior, such as truancy, end up getting into more and more trouble as they get older. Programs funded by the JJM do more than just lock-up our youth and forget about them. We offer these kids the opportunity to change their lives by taking real responsibility for themselves and their behavior.

For example, the Ingham Academy offers adjudicated youth who have been suspended or expelled from school a chance to earn their high school diploma. If so determined by the court, students are picked up from their homes each morning, driven to the Academy, where they spend a full day in school and are then driven home. Many of these youth are also involved in the PRIDE Program that offers after-school tutoring and activities. Students at the Academy have started an urban farm with fruits and vegetable planted right outside their classrooms. Chickens have been added to our urban farm and bee keeping is next on the agenda. These children are court ordered to attend school. If they misbehave or are not ready for school in the morning they will appear before the Court immediately. The youth agree to these terms and are held responsible for their actions moving forward.

The Academy offers these students the opportunity to learn first-hand about capitalism and free market enterprises. They are also learning about nutrition and ways to prepare healthy foods. Last year they bottled salsa made out of items from the garden and I’m told selling honey is next! These kids are learning that they do have options. Those options might not always be easy, and there are repercussions if they don’t hold up their end of the bargain, but these children are productive and learning to be proud of their abilities. The Academy is also partnering with Lansing Community College to offer our graduates additional opportunities to improve their lives by improving their education.

Members of the Ingham County Bench, Court Staff and Ingham County Commissioners have all come together to examine the way we treat our youth. In addition to the Ingham Academy I encourage all readers to find out more about Project Impact (also partially funded with JJM funds). Project Impact is a partnership with Mental Health and the Courts to look at the root causes of difficult behavior, many of which include mental health issues. Teen Court, Child and Family Services and the Dispute Resolution Center of Central Michigan all received grants to service youth in our county from the millage to evaluate and offer solutions to problem behaviors that keep our children out of the court system.

There is still much work to be done, but I am so proud of what Ingham County is doing for our youth. I often wonder if my father would still be alive if his murderers, those children, had been given other options. If they had been involved in Project Impact or the Ingham Academy three families might not have suffered the pain of what happened to me in 1985.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you would like to learn more.

And, just because Andy is such a Michigan fan and Ingham County is the home of MSU . . . GO STATE!

Special Guest Blogger: Commissioner Brian McGrain on Human Services

For the next two weeks, I have decided to get the perspective of other commissioners. With the budget now in full swing, and with Human Services (like the Health Department) one of the key areas that we focus on at the county, I thought this week would be an appropriate time to hear from the chair of the county Human Services Committee. So I introduce to you this week's guest blogger - Commissioner Brian McGrain:

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Many thanks to Commissioner Schor for asking me to provide guest commentary on the actions of your Ingham County Commission this week. I am pleased to be serving in my first term on the Commission this year, and am currently seeking re-election. My District (District #3) is comprised of the north-eastern sections of Lansing and Lansing Townships (a reverse L-shaped district running approximately from the Lansing Center in the west along Michigan Avenue to Frandor and then up through Groesbeck to Eastwood Towne Center). I have lived in the Lansing area for 16 years, and have resided in my current east-side residence for over 8 years.

I am especially pleased to be chairing the Human Services Committee of the Commission this year. This Committee provides oversight to Ingham County’s social service activities, and includes activities of the Health Department, Community Mental Health, Human Services, the Mid-South Substance Abuse Commission, MSU Extension, and Veterans Affairs, among others. Annually, the Commission establishes areas of priority emphasis guiding the budget process. Among the long-term objectives supported by the Commission are: preventing and controlling disease; promoting accessible health care; and assisting in meeting basic needs. These objectives are met through support of the various departments reporting to the Human Services Committee.

The overall budget for this service area in 2011 will be over $73 million, of which over $17 million is provided by county general fund dollars. These figures represent about 40% of all county expenditures, and about 25% of the general fund overall. The large amount of financial support provided to care for our County’s residents illustrates that the intent to meet our objectives is of key importance to us. However, it is also important to note that three-quarters of the money spent on these services actually comes from other sources, such as through the state and federal government. Our high level of commitment to this arena allows us to draw down significant matching support for our community.

I must admit, going into our budget cycle for the 2011 calendar year, I was concerned that there were going to be significant cuts to what we could afford. I had heard that we would be facing anywhere from a $4 to $7 million budget shortfall. Our Controller presented us with a proposed budget in August that spelled out a predicted $6.4 million shortfall. Thankfully, our Controller also proposed a number of expenditure changes and budget reductions to help close the gap. Many of our departments were asked to tighten their belts and come up with anywhere from 5-10% in budget reductions. Our Health Department, for instance, decreased their budget by over $1 million. We are hopeful that these budget reductions (some of which also tie hand-in-hand to revenue enhancements) won’t detrimentally affect levels of service to our community. We are also exploring ways to deliver services differently and more affordably, such as by opening up our own group home for teenage boys.

The Human Services Committee on August 30 passed its portion of the 2011 budget with minimal fanfare. Our Finance Committee will meet later this month to take a look at all the budgets that have been passed (including those for Law Enforcement, Judiciary, and County Services) and to consider any changes that might need to be made. A completed budget will be before the entire Commission shortly thereafter for approval, well before January 1, 2011. If only the State were so efficient! (I suppose this is the situation to be had when one has a well-managed county staff and a leadership team made up overwhelmingly of Democrats.)

While we are rapidly closing in on a balanced budget for 2011, many of us on the Commission are already concerned about our 2012 budget. We expect another budget shortfall, but we are already taking steps to begin preparing for the difficult decisions we will face next year. As always, we encourage community residents to contact us with questions about our activities and also proposed solutions to the situations we may be encountering. While we know that we have to tighten our belt, we also pride ourselves at having been a County that has provided innovative programming to support our residents. If I may ever be of service to you, I invite you to contact me at bmcgrain@ingham.org.

Best wishes to all for the remainder of 2010 and beyond,

Brian McGrain

Dog Park, Animal Control and Zoo Events

With the budget underway, the one controversial issue on our plate right now is the upcoming dog park fees. I have talked to several people about this issue. Interestingly enough, the Lansing State Journal had an article about this. The article was fairly balanced and seems to indicate that regular users of the park like the fees for the safety and protection of their own dogs, and to ensure that dogs are licensed. The headline, though, said that people were upset about the fee (which was only mildly reflected in the article). Several people I have spoken with support the fees, but have suggested to me that the fees should be lower. One proposal I am exploring is for the fees to equal the park fees, and promotion of the north entry into the dog park. That way, people don’t have to pay Hawk Island fees as well as the Dog Park fees if they are not planning to use Hawk Island. We would have to lower the fee recommended by staff, and I am exploring the consequences of that. I am also trying to figure out who from the county told the Lansing State Journal that this is a done deal when the county hasn’t even considered this yet. I know that there is a sign, which the City is free to put up because they own the property…but the county has not yet made the decision to support this fee yet (contrary to what people think). This issue will be decided over the next few weeks.

While I have some space available, I am gonna promote some upcoming events…

Our outstanding animal control department has informed commissioners about the following pet program coming up:

Neighborhood Vaccination & Licensing Program for low income pet owners
Date: Friday Sept. 10th 11 AM-5 PM
Location: Patrol Division Bldg (Old North Precinct) 740 May Street Lansing 48906
Info: Rabies vaccinations are free for any dog getting a license that day. Cat Rabies vaccination is free. Micro-chipping for dogs and cats is ONLY $15. Cat & Dog Distemper vaccines are $5. Veterinarians are volunteering their time to help the low income pet owners of Ingham County receive vaccinations that they might not otherwise receive. For more information call 517 676-8373 This program is made possible through donations, fees, sponsorships and volunteers.

The zoo also has a series of upcoming events. Check these out:

September 12
Grandparents Day at the Zoo
9 a.m to 6 p.m.
Activities from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
General Admission Rates Apply (free for county grandparents)
In honor of the day, all grandparents residing in Ingham County will receive free admission to the Zoo. Activities begin at 11 am and include a special Grandparents' Day themed animal enrichment, activities for the whole family, live animal presentations and much more.

September 12
Eagle Owl Exhibit Grand Opening
9 a.m to 6 p.m.
General Admission Rates Apply (free for county grandparents)
Join us on Sunday, September 12 as we celebrate the grand opening of the new Eurasian Eagle Owl exhibit. The approximately 1,060-square-foot exhibit will be home to two of the Zoo's Eurasian Eagle Owls. The exhibit is located just south of the previous Eagle Owl enclosure.

September 16
Wine and Stein
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
$20 per person for members; $25 for non-members
Autumn is beautiful at the zoo and this is your chance to stroll the grounds on a cool evening, sipping some wonderful wines and beers and eating fabulous hors d'oeuvres from Lansing area restaurants! Must be 21 years of age and older to attend.

September 19, 2010
Horsepower at the Zoo
10 am to 2:30pm
Standard Parking Fee (event is outside of the Zoo)
Put the pedal to the metal and cruise on out to the Potter Park Zoo. See cool classic cars, antique autos and vintage hot rods while strolling the park grounds... all for the price of parking!

September 19, 2010
Tailgate for the Animals
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
General Admission Rates Apply - Show your student ID and receive a 50% discount! Spartan and Wolverine fans are invited to begin the big game festivities early this year with a special day at Potter Park Zoo. Watch live enrichments as the animals of Potter Park Zoo make their prediction of who will win the big game.

If you are interested in finding out more about upcoming events at Potter Park Zoo please visit: www.potterparkzoo.org.