September 26, 2006 

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today designated the United Way Regional Call Center (UWRCC) as the 2-1-1 community resource information and referral answering point for Livingston, Monroe and Washtenaw counties.

The UWRCC will provide operation of the 2-1-1 telephone number 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The Commission concluded that its approval is provisional, in part, due to the Federal Communications Commission’s ability to recall the 2-1-1 number.

As required by Section 214 of the Michigan Telecommunications Act (MTA), the MPSC received as part of UWRCC’s application written endorsements of the Michigan Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, Michigan 2-1-1, the Livingston County Human Services Collaborative Body, the Monroe County Human Services Collaborative Network, and the Washtenaw Human Services Collaborative Council.

Amendments to the MTA in July 2000 granted the MPSC authority to assign the abbreviated dialing number 2-1-1 to community resource and referral answering points for various geographic areas within Michigan.

Today’s order requires all providers of basic local exchange service within the 33 exchanges identified in UWRCC’s application that are wholly or partially within Livingston, Monroe and Washtenaw counties to take the necessary steps to allow their customers to access UWRCC through the use of the 2-1-1 telephone number.

The 33 exchanges are: Gregory, Pinkney, Whitmore Lake, Fenton, Byron, Linden, Fowlerville, Howell, Hartland, Chelsea, Manchester, Tipton, Clinton, Saline, Ann Arbor, Dexter, Ypsilanti , Brighton, Milan, Britton, Dundee, Petersburg, Lambertville, Carleton, Maybee, North Sylvania, Lost Peninsula, Temperance, Erie, Willis, Ida, Monroe, and Newport .

In Case No. U-14541, the MPSC today also amended its Aug. 16, 2005 order to move the Ypsilanti and Willis exchanges to the exchanges approved for the UWRCC.

The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Labor & Economic Growth.

Case Nos. U-14935, U-14541