×

Border security grant approved

John DePetro, commissioner, Marquette County

MARQUETTE — The Marquette County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an Operation Stonegarden grant for emergency management at Tuesday’s meeting.

The grant will be used to “support enhanced cooperation and coordination among local, tribal, territorial, state and federal law enforcement agencies in a joint commission to secure the borders along routes of ingress from international borders,” states a memo from Marquette County Emergency Management Coordinator Teresa Schwalbach to the board.

The $60,000 grant, which is part of a Department of Homeland Security program, will extend three years and overlap with other Operation Stonegarden grants the county has, as the municipality can apply for a three-year grant each year, some of which cover equipment or overtime costs.

This particular grant is designed to help cover overtime costs for law enforcement while they patrol areas on or near water, Schwalbach said, noting that road patrol, marine patrol and snowmobile patrols are all covered under the funding.

“This grant helps law enforcement cover overtime costs to patrol the borders,” Schwalbach said. “It’s a nationwide grant for those counties that border water, so we are part of that.”

She said the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office will determine the specific scheduling and day-to-day operations.

“They set up all the schedules, the officers that want to work,” she said. “They do have to keep track of what they did though, because we have to send them into the border patrol and we also have to send them into the state when we go in for reimbursement.”

Commissioner Johnny DePetro noted that the grant does not require a county match or payback and commended Schwalbach for her work on the grant.

“I appreciate all the hard work that you are doing going after grant monies and trying to stay on top of everything. Thank you very much,” he said.

The board also unanimously approved a resolution establishing salaries of county officers for fiscal year 2019, approved requested millage rates to be levied for various local units of government and passed a truth in taxation resolution following a public hearing.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today