County Council Supports Highway Dept. Request to Apply for Community Crossing Grant and Commitment Letter

Monday morning County Highway Superintendent Jason Peters asked the County Council for a commitment letter to apply for the first call of 2022 Community Crossing Grant funds.  He said the financial commitment he was looking for to apply for the grant is $552,440.

Peters presented county members with a list of potential road projects for 2022 Community Crossing Projects.  They include Pear Road from 14B to 18B Roads; Tamarack from U.S. 6 to the County Line; 9^th Road from Pioneer to Union; 15^th Road from State Road 17 to Thorn Road and 10B Road from State Road 17 to the County Line.  Peters said the estimated total cost for these road improvements is $3,251,790.  Peters highlighted Pear, Tamarack, and 15^th Roads and said he would apply for Community Crossings for those projects whose total estimated cost is $1,552,400 and keeps them in the threshold for the grant funds.  The other two projects could be covered by county funds and would be $1,699,350. 

Marshall County will be applying for another $1 million in Community Crossing grant funds and the local match required is 25% or $333,333.  The application is due January 28^th.  

Superintendent Peters also gave the County Council a list of additional projects that would tie in easily with the Community Crossing projects that could be contracted out to the company with the lowest Community Crossing bid giving the county a better bang for their bucks.  Those other roads are, 1^st Road from Tamarack to the County Line; Sycamore from 9^th Road to Lincolnway/US30; Union Road from 9C Road to 10B Road and 12^th Road from North Michigan Road to Maple Road.  The estimate for these projects is $1,208,592.

The County Council member Jon VanVactor said there is currently $400,000 in the Rainy-Day fund for the Community Crossing match.  That would still leave $152,000 in the Rainy Day Fund.  VanVactor said there is also $600,000 in the County Council budget for additional projects.

Peters said there is about $100,000 left over from last year’s adjacent projects they could also use.

The County Council motioned Peters to proceed with the Community Crossing application and said they will provide the commitment letter for the grant.

He will meet before the County Commissioners next Monday, January 17th with the same information.