Almost $330,000 In Firekeepers Funds Awarded To Local Projects

Almost two dozen projects have been awarded cash as part of the deal Calhoun County’s casino has with the community.

Calhoun County says that on Thursday, the FireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Board met and considered 31 applications for various projects throughout the area; all told, 23 projects were chosen to receive a combined $329,000 in grant funds. Some examples of the projects being funded include almost $25,000 to the Calhoun County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office to digitize archived files, and $17,000 to the Calhoun County Juvenile Home for Security Camera upgrades.

The complete list of projects is below.

As part of the compact between the Notawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi and the State of Michigan, some local revenue sharing funds remain unallocated and can be awarded to local governments for “any lawful government purpose”. Projects were selected based on that criteria, as well as their benefit to countywide residents and a commitment to shared funding by the governmental unit and other sources.

The approvals were all unanimous by the FLRSB, which is made up of:

• 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

All 23 projects are as follows:

• 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