On Thursday, Aug. 8, the
FireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Board met to consider 31 applications that were received for projects countywide. Only the fourth time that the FLRSB has offered Tier IV Discretionary Grants, these projects are intended to improve the lives of Calhoun County residents.
This year, 23 projects were awarded FLRSB funds, totaling $329,202.16. The total comes just under the budgeted $330,000 in unspent accumulated funds for this purpose.
Awarded projects are:
Albion Township – Fire
$15,000 awarded to construct a new garage for storage of equipment
Battle Creek Promise Zone Authority
$25,000 awarded to expand success programming for high school students
Calhoun County – Circuit Court Clerk
$24,960 awarded to digitize archived court files for easy public access
Calhoun County – Juvenile Home
$17,581.28 awarded to upgrade security cameras and equipment
Calhoun County – Parks
$20,000 awarded to purchase a brush mower, create a development plan for Riverside Park, and establish load rating for Charlotte Highway Bridge in Historic Bridge Park
Calhoun County – Sheriff
$16,850 awarded to upgrade training facility in Marengo Township
Calhoun County – Solid Waste
$5,515.88 awarded to launch a sharps drop-off pilot program countywide
Calhoun County 10
th
District Court
$24,500 awarded to support the treatment courts’ in-home alcohol monitoring and provide for state and national program training
Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority
$1,800 awarded to purchase an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and enhance the security camera system
City of Albion
$25,000 awarded for the construction of an ADA-compliant pavilion in Holland Park
City of Battle Creek – Fire Department
$10,500 awarded to offer certification and training for lieutenants, captains, and battalion chiefs
City of Battle Creek – Recreation Department
$12,500 awarded to replace security cameras at Full Blast Recreational Facility
City of Marshall
$25,000 awarded to repair underlying structures of the historic Brooks Fountain
City of Springfield
$12,500 awarded to assist with Upton Park walking park upgrades
Homer Area Fire Authority
$9,675 awarded to purchase equipment for senior citizen activities within the Homer Fire Department
Kellogg Community College
$15,000 awarded to increase the FLRSB Endowed Scholarship Fund at KCC
Pennfield Township
$12,500 awarded to purchase an electronic sign for outside Pennfield Township Hall
Pennfield Township
$21,200 awarded to replace a warning siren used for weather alerts
Village of Athens
$1,120 awarded to place larger floral planters near the village center
Village of Athens
$4,000 awarded to clean the Nottawa Creek Mill Race to kill invasive species
Village of Athens
$3,000 awarded to replace the existing salt shed
Village of Homer
$25,000 awarded to purchase and equip a replacement police vehicle
Village of Tekonsha
$1,000 awarded to improve the existing infrastructure at Chaney Park
According to the Compact between the NHBP Tribe and the State of Michigan, the FLRSB may allocate a remaining portion of the annual Net Win payment from FireKeepers Casino operations to local governments for any lawful government purpose. While the FLRSB has chosen to allocate much of the Tier IV funds using a formula-based approach for all 10 years of its existence, there is a portion unallocated each year that, along with unspent administrative budget amounts, accumulates from year to year. Before allocating the $330,000 for the 2019 Discretionary Grant program, the FLRSB distributed $5.7 million earlier this year to local governments to reimburse for actual increased costs related to the Casino or Tribal reservation, and in payments in lieu of property taxes.
In addition to voting unanimously to award funds for the above
23 projects, the Board did not fund eight project applications that were submitted. Criteria for project evaluation inclu
ded benefit to countywide residents, shared funding by the governmental unit and other sources, and a clear local governmental purpose.
Members of the FLRSB are,
- Chairperson Rebecca Fleury, Battle Creek City Manager
- Vice Chair Tim Hill, Emmett Township Supervisor
- Secretary Jamie Stuck, NHBP Tribal Chairperson
- Treasurer Joe Caron, Marshall City Mayor
- Greg Moore, Consumers Energy
- Derek King, Calhoun County Commissioner
The Offices of the County Administrator/Controller and Finance provide accounting, Board support and communication services to the FLRSB through an Administrative Services Contract.
