Applications are due by 5 p.m. on July 1

A new committee will take over planning for materials management in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties and is seeking members. The Southwest Michigan Materials Management Planning Committee, or MMPC, will be made up of 16 professionals who will be responsible for creating a multi-county materials management plan.

Selected members will serve five-year terms and will meet at least every two weeks to direct the Designated Planning Agency in the process of preparing and implementing a plan that will guide decisions on how to best manage materials in the three counties.

The committee will will meet every other Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. beginning August 21, at the Pokagon Band Community Center in Dowagiac. The frequency of meetings may be reduced in 2025 depending on the State of Michigan requirements for the Materials Management Planning Process. Locations will alternate every year depending on which County the Chair of the Committee represents. Members are expected to attend all meetings.

Qualified individuals will meet at least one of the following criteria: ​

• A representative of a solid waste disposal facility operator that provides service in the planning area.
• A representative of a hauler that provides service in the planning area.
• A representative of a materials recovery facility operator that provides service in the planning area.
• A representative of a composting facility or anaerobic digester operator that provides service in the planning area.
• A representative of a waste diversion, reuse, or reduction facility operator that provides service in the planning area.
• A representative of an environmental interest group that has members residing in the planning area.
• An elected official of the county.
• An elected official of a township in the planning area.
• An elected official of a city or village in the planning area.
• A representative of a business that generates a managed material in the planning area.
• A representative of the regional planning agency whose territory includes the planning area
• A representative from a business that generates managed materials within the planning area.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. on July 1, 2024. The application can be found at https://tinyurl.com/SWMcommittee or email [email protected] for a PDF version.​

For questions or concerns, please contact Bekah Schrag at the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission at (269) 925-1137×1521 or [email protected]​.

Please note: All materials submitted to Southwest Michigan Planning Commission are subject to the public records law of the State of Michigan.