Local officials discuss clean water, data centers and artificial intelligence at 17th Tri-County Summit

May 1, 2026, OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. - Legislators from Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties came together today at the Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills for the 17th Tri-County Summit. This event provided local officials with an opportunity to discuss emerging topics which impact our local communities, including:

• Clean water and climate resilience goals - Panelists representing the Great Lakes Commission; Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy; and the University of Michigan Water Center shared their perspectives on topics including stormwater management, infrastructure upgrades, management of invasive species and habitat improvement around the Great Lakes.
• Data center construction throughout the region - Representatives from the Prince William County, Va. Board of Supervisors; CAI, a global services firm; and the University of Michigan Water Center discussed ways to consider zoning and placement of data centers, environmental and water-use safeguards, accurate evaluation of the economic value and demands of a data center on a community, and what role each level of government might play in guiding this emerging infrastructure need.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) - As the technology continues to become more widely adopted, experts from the Science, Technology and Public Policy Program at the University of Michigan and CAI presented their thoughts on how counties can implement AI with transparency and accountability, potential restrictions on the use of AI, and how to establish best practices when entering contracts with vendors utilizing AI in their products.

"Bringing our three counties together for this summit made one thing clear: the challenges we face don't stop at our borders," said Macomb County Board Chair Joe Sabatini (R-Macomb Township). "They're regional issues that demand regional solutions. By working collaboratively, sharing data, and aligning our priorities, we can be more efficient, avoid duplicating efforts, and make smarter use of public resources. This summit wasn't just a conversation - it was a commitment to move forward together and deliver real results for our communities."

"The Tri-County Summit remains an outstanding platform for collaboration between county leaders as our goals and partnerships continue to grow and evolve," said Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chair David T. Woodward (D-Royal Oak). "Our communities are concerned about the issues of data centers, the use of artificial intelligence and access to clean water. This summit is an opportunity to better understand these topics so we may prepare to take action and ensure that our regional infrastructure best serves tri-county residents and businesses."

"It is increasingly important that we come together as elected officials, community leaders and stakeholders to discuss these important issues to seek meaningful solutions to critical environmental and infrastructure issues," commented Wayne County Commission Chair Alisha Bell (D-Detroit). "From climate and environmental education to the impacts of data centers and the future of artificial intelligence for local government - we must continue to strategize ways to work effectively together to improve and strengthen our region's approach to these shared concerns. We are interconnected in our regional infrastructure and collective future which requires regional cooperation, informed decision-making, and forward-thinking leadership."

As the event concluded, the three county chairs pledged to work toward solutions and guidelines surrounding the subjects discussed.

The Tri-County Summit was first hosted in 1998 to create a forum to identify common issues for cooperative action. Previous topics have included mental health, criminal justice, broadband equity, economic development and regional quality of life.

For more information about the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, please visit BOCMacomb.org or call 586-469-5125.

For more information about the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, please visit OakGov.com/BOC or call 248-858-0100.

For more information about the Wayne County Commission, please visit WayneCountyMI.gov or call 313-224-7263.