By GARRETT NEESE

Houghton Mining Gazette

HOUGHTON — The Houghton County Board approved American Rescue Plan Act funding for several projects at its meeting Tuesday.

The $200,000 study will determine the feasibility of a new terminal and a new location for the fuel farm for planes. The money will be reimbursed through a federal grant if the county builds a new terminal, said Vice Chair Roy Britz.

The board also voted to replace air-conditioning units on the first-floor parking deck level and fifth floor for approximately $25,000. The condenser under the parking deck services the probate court offices, said Administrator Elizabeth Bjorn. With the bids for rooftop units coming in lower than anticipated, there was also money for the fifth-floor unit, Bjorn said.

Also approved were $30,000 of ARPA funds to purchase equipment to create an emergency spill response unit. The county had been fortunate after recent spills to have resources nearby, said Emergency Measures Director Chris Van Arsdale.

In 2018, Michigan Technological University provided a half-dozen spill containers with absorbents from during the Sturgeon River spill.

After a spill in Hancock, a contractor several vehicles behind the truck that tipped over had sewer catch basin covers; another one had a truckload of sand.

Not wanting to rely on luck, a number of municipalities suggested a countywide response unit for tasks such as putting covers over sewer drains.

“There’s a big gap between when the spill happens and the contractor arrives,” he said. “So this trailer and the equipment inside would help mitigate that until that agency arrives.”

Chair Tom Tikkanen said the board had approached the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance about maximizing the efficient use of $200,000 the board had earmarked for child care development. The county is exploring options for grant programs to facilitate licensing for home-based facilities and child care centers in the county.

“I understand that there’s a waiting list, so to speak, of almost 600 children in the county for working parents,” he said. “The idea is to make it as affordable as possible, and this is for working families.”

The board also approved meeting dates for 2023, including moving the start of the meeting date from 5 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Chair Tom Tikkanen said since many county offices close at 4 p.m., it would make it easier for staff and department heads to stay and participate in the meeting. The county offering Zoom access to the meetings for the public also makes it easier for them to attend, he said.

The board approved the change 4-1. Commissioner Gretchen Janssen said she would prefer to keep the meetings at 5 p.m., which makes it easier for people to attend after work.