Michigan Municipal League convention underway in Marquette

MARQUETTE — Hundreds of elected officials and other government workers from across Michigan are in the U.P. to network with, and learn from, one another.

The Michigan Municipal League is holding its annual convention in Marquette through Friday. A reception for the guests took place tonight. Local leaders will learn about entrepreneurship, urban planning, economic development and other areas.

“We were last up here in 2006 and here again now, and it’s fantastic, the way the town has done some of its big projects and there’s been so much change since then,” Michigan Municipal League executive director and CEO Dan Gilmartin said. “For a lot of folks that haven’t been back, it’s a really good thing to see.”

Gilmartin says one of the nice things about holding the convention in a place like Marquette is the ability to go out and see the community. He says the guests will do that for the rest of the week.

“A lot of our workshops aren’t going to be in classrooms,” Gilmartin said. “They’re going to be out in the community. Look at what’s happening on Baraga Avenue. Look at what’s happening in the downtown, the bike trails and how you’re incorporating bike trails and walking trails and hiking trails into a downtown area so that it creates a better place to live and it creates a better economy.”

The Michigan Municipal League has existed since 1899. Besides 2006, the MML has also held its convention in Marquette in 1993 and 1989.