Page 12 — Thursday, August 12, 2021 — The Hastings BannerChallenge draws
hundreds of cyclists
to Barry County
Billions coming to Michigan towns,
bringing tough questions about priorities
Bridge Magazine
Michigan’s municipalities are set to get a
massive injection of federal money, prompt-
ing tough decisions on how best to prioritize
funding when there are so many needs.
From infrastructure and blight to mental
health services and parks, cities and counties
have delayed investments for years, limiting
their ability to “be thriving places,” according
to a report from the Michigan Municipal
League.
Now that cities and counties are set to
receive $4.37 billion from the federal govern-
ment as part of the American Rescue Plan Act,
experts say municipal leaders should take an
important first step before making decisions:
Listen.
“It’s a huge responsibility for us and we
take that very seriously,” said Vicki Wolber,
the deputy county executive of Macomb
County.
“We want to take our time and make sure
we can make the best decisions that will serve
our population for a long period of time.”
That county is among some local govern-
ments that are embarking on listening tours
and community forums to decide how best to
spend the money.
The money is huge: Macomb County is
expecting to receive $169 million — an
amount equal to 61 percent of its general fund
budget, while, in Saginaw, the $52 million it
expects to receive eclipses that mid-Michigan
city’s budget for an entire year.
In Macomb, Wolber said officials are con-
sidering a new building for the Department of
Health and Community Services, and a new
central intake facility for the county jail.
The talks are ongoing as community lead-
ers wait for money that has been described as
a once-in-a-generation windfall to Michigan
communities, which altogether have lost more
than $7.5 billion in state revenue sharing
money from 2002 to 2017, according to a
Michigan Municipal League report.
Overall, all 83 counties are set to receive
$1.93 billion, while 49 metropolitan cities and
townships in the state have been allocated
$1.80 billion. Local governments of 50,
people or less will be able to benefit from an
allocation of $644 million.
The cities are bracing for the money as
Michigan public schools decide how to spend
an even bigger pot — more than $6 billion
from three federal COVID packages.
School leaders are facing some of the same
kid-in-a-candy-store moments as municipali-
ties, trying to figure out how to best spend an
amount of new money they’ll likely never see
again. Funding projects range from additional
staff to new heating and cooling systems, and
many schools, like municipalities, plan to take
time to figure out what to do.
The federal government has attached some
strings to the money. Plus, municipal govern-
ments have to allocate it by 2024 and spend it
by 2026.
“We think that the American Rescue Plan
Act is a historical investment in us, and
should be looked at as a downpayment on our
future,” said Rachel Richards, the fiscal poli-
cy director of the Michigan League for Public
Policy.
She said local governments’ top priority
should be to listen to their constituents.
“Your people know the needs of their com-
munities the best,” said Rachel Richards,
“They are often the ones that are on theground every day, seeing where there are
holes in state and local government services
that need to be filled.”
Broadly speaking, the federal stimulus can
be used to pay for COVID-19 mitigation
efforts, replace lost revenue, provide pay for
workers, mitigate economic harm from the
pandemic and invest in infrastructure.
That means cities can get creative — and
what they choose to do with the money can
cause controversy.
Last month, the Shiawassee County Board
of Commissioners voted to use the funds to
give themselves and top officials hazard pay.
The payouts ranged from $25,0000 to $5,000.
After public pushback, the commissioners
said they’d return the money.
Most cities and counties, however, likely
will spend the money on upgrading infrastruc-
ture and public services and mitigation of
crime and poverty.
Kent County Board of Commissioners is
likely to use the $128 million awarded for
enhancing the county’s behavioral health sys-
tem, addressing lead and PFAS contamina-
tion, and boosting law enforcement officers,
according to a spokesperson for the county.
Meanwhile, the City of Detroit was award-
ed a total of $826 million, and has already
received the first payment of $413 million.
According to a plan put out by Mayor Mike
Duggan and approved by the Detroit City
Council in June, the city intends to use the
money for blight remediation, city services
and infrastructure, neighborhood investments,
and to address intergenerational poverty, pub-
lic safety and the digital divide.
“We held 63 community meetings with
more than 3,300 residents participating,”
Duggan said in a statement. “Our citizens’
input and ideas resulted in (a) much more
complete plan.”
Neighborhood investment was sought bythe Detroit People’s Platform, an organization
that fights to “protect, maintain and empower
majority Black Detroit” such as recreation
centers, parks, libraries and broadband.
“There’s a lot of people that’ve been left
behind before the pandemic, and we’re asking
for ... a demonstrated commitment to racial
equity and inclusion in prioritizing the needs
of investments,” said Renard Monczunski, the
transit justice organizer with the group.
“And specifically we believe in prioritizing
investment in neighborhoods left behind by
revitalization strategies ... and neighborhoods
that experienced higher rates of COVID.”
The money comes after municipalities and
the state government delayed investments for
decades, following economic downturns since
2000.
One report claimed Michigan needs $4 bil-
lion more per year in infrastructure improve-
ments, while a report from the Michigan
Municipal League found the state’s police
force deployments fell 23 percent from 2002
to 2017.
But the pandemic exposed and exacerbated
other needs as well, including the state’s $3.
billion mental-health system and chronic
shortage of affordable housing.
Chris Hackbarth, the director of state and
federal affairs at the Michigan Municipal
League, said local governments should part-
ner with counties to stretch dollars and solu-
tions.
“That’s been our main message: take your
time, make sure you talk with your communi-
ty, talk with your residents, see what partner-
ship opportunities there are with your busi-
nesses and your nonprofits in your county,
and wait to see what the state has available,”
Hackbarth said. “You might be able to do a
project that you never thought you could
because of the funding that’s available.”Banner CLASSIFIEDS
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[email protected].PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:
All real estate advertising in this
newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing
Act and the Michigan Civil Rights Act
which collectively make it illegal to
advertise “any preference, limitation or
discrimination based on race, color,
religion, sex, handicap, familial status,
national origin, age or martial status, or
an intention, to make any such
preference, limitation or discrimination.”
Familial status includes children under
the age of 18 living with parents or legal
custodians, pregnant women and people
securing custody of children under 18.
This newspaper will not knowingly
accept any advertising for real estate
which is in violation of the law. Our
readers are hereby informed that all
dwellings advertised in this newspaper
are available on an equal opportunity
basis. To report discrimination call the
Fair Housing Center at 616-451-2980.
The HUD toll-free telephone number for
the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.Robert Dexter McGee, 36, of Hastings,
was convicted of two counts of failure to pay
child support. He was sentenced by Judge
Michael Schipper to pay $566 in fines and
costs and placed on probation for 36 months.
McGee’s probation may end after 12 months
if he makes all his payments, plus $300 or
more, toward his arrearage. He will pay
$18,180 in restitution to the Barry County
Friend of the Court.
Jeremy Lee Gesmundo, 42, of Galesburg,
was convicted of failure to pay child support
and sentenced by Judge Schipper to 60 days
in jail, with credit for 60 days served.
Gesmundo was ordered to pay $398 in fines
and costs and placed on probation for 36
months. The judge also ordered him to partic-
ipate in, and successfully complete, the Office
of Community Corrections’ Cog program and
regular drug testing. He will pay restitution of
$27,712.65 through Friend of the Court.
In a separate case, Gesmundo was convict-
ed of the possession of a controlled substance,
methamphetamine, as a second-time or subse-
quent offender, and carrying a concealed
weapon. He was ordered to serve 57 days in
jail, with credit for 57 days served, pay $
in fines and costs, and placed on probation for
36 months. His driver’s license will be sus-
pended for 30 days and restricted for 150
days.Michael David Stonehouse, 34, of
Woodland, was convicted of possession of a
controlled substance, methamphetamine, and
domestic violence. He was sentenced by
Judge Schipper to 180 days in jail, with credit
for 77 days served, on the first conviction, and
77 days in jail on the second conviction, with
credit for 77 days served. He was ordered to
pay $1,108 in fines and costs. His driver’s
license was suspended for 30 days and
restricted for 150 days. A count of second-de-
gree aggravated domestic violence was dis-
missed at the time of sentencing.Thornapple Township approves
raises for emergency personnel
Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
Firefighters and first responders for
Thornapple Township Emergency Services
will soon see more money in their paychecks.
The Thornapple Township Board Monday
unanimously approved a $3-per-hour increase
in the base wage for all TTES staff. The raise,
which will take effect with the next payroll
period, was recommended by the board’s
personnel committee.
“It makes us more competitive with what’s
going on in our area and across the state,”
TTES Chief Randy Eaton said.
The increase will boost the pay for full-
time staff members to roughly $21 to $24 per
hour, while the top pay level for medics will
rise to $22 per hour, and top pay for emergency
medical technicians will increase to about $
per hour, according to township documents.
TTES currently has about 30 staff
members, including three full-time firefighter/
medics and the chief, while the remaining
staff are either part-time ambulance workers
or paid on-call firefighters, Eaton said after
the meeting.
The pay increase comes as TTES has been
experiencing a significant increase in call
volume. For the first six months of this year,
the department has seen a nearly 30 percentspike in the number of calls for service, from
570 last year to 739 this year, township
documents show.
In the month of June, TTES averaged 3.
calls a day with a daily high of nine calls,
according to township records.
At the same time, Eaton said he is finding
it challenging to maintain proper staffing to
meet the demand for calls.
“We’re hurting a little bit now. We have
one individual who’s been out for a while
now, one of our part-time guys, and we had
one of our full-timers leave for another job,”
Eaton said after the meeting.
The two remaining full-time firefighter/
medics have had to work more overtime to
make up for the loss of the full-time staffer.
TTES has received three applications for the
full-time firefighter/medic vacancy, Eaton
told board members.
Eaton said the department has enough
room in its budget to handle the pay increase.
“We will probably have to redo some
things in the budget,” he said.
The raises would boost spending for full-
time positions more than $22,000 to $205,871.
Part-time medic/EMT staffing costs would
increase by more than $26,000 to $181,218,
township documents show.Charles Maurer (left) and Paul Maurer roll around the corner at Adams and Cherry
Valley roads during an early evening Night Loop of the National 24-Hour Challenge
Saturday in Middleville. (Photo by Brett Bremer)A group of just under 200 riders takes off to open the 38th annual National 24-Hour Challenge cycling endurance event at
Thornapple Kellogg Middle School in Middleville Saturday morning. (Photo by Brett Bremer)Hundreds of cyclists from around the country gathered in Middleville last weekend for the 38th running of the National 24-Hour
Challenge. Cyclists rode two routes during the endurance challenge – a 50-mile day loop running from Thornapple Kellogg Middle
School to Delton Kellogg High School, then a 7.6-mile lighted night loop around Thornapple Kellogg Middle School. The event was
designated the North American 24-hour national championship event by the World Ultra Cycling Association. Cyclists were treated
to a spaghetti dinner prepared by the Middleville Rotary on Friday night and a pancake breakfast prepared by volunteers from
Middleville United Methodist Church on Saturday morning before they took to the road. Middleville has hosted the National 24-Hour
Challenge for 20 years.