By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


A potential grant that could help provide a new building for Meals on Wheels has hit a road bump with the Livingston County Board of Commissioners.

Livingston County Meals on Wheels has been in the community for roughly 30 years, but has never had a building of their own. The organization has identified a 1.3 acre parcel of land in Hartland Township in which a building could be constructed to fit their needs. The project is estimated to cost $2-million, but Meals on Wheels is hoping for a Community Development Block Grant that will provide half of that. The grant would be cost-shared with Livingston County and Meals on Wheels each committing $500,000 to make up the cost. County Planning Department Director Kathleen Kline Hudson said at this week’s meeting of the Board of Commissioners that that they recently met with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. She said the MEDC requested several revisions to the grant application, most from Meals on Wheels, but a couple from the county. Kline-Hudson said the previous resolution passed by the Board is now too old and revisions are needed. In order to qualify, the County Board needs to have a resolution that is less than 6 months old. The one used for the latest application had been passed in November. The MEDC also requires that the county commit to their share without any contingencies in the resolution.

With contingencies needing to be removed, Commissioner Doug Helzerman said that they had wanted to guarantee a way to recover the county’s money should the project turn sour, but that it looks like those options are now evaporating.

Chairwoman Carol Griffith said that, before resigning, former Chair Don Parker commissioned a CPA to look at Meals on Wheels’ financials. That report has come in and was forwarded to Commissioner Wes Nakagiri. Griffith asked Nakagiri to lead a subcommittee of commissioners and Meals on Wheels officials. The intent is for the subcommittee to discuss the findings of the report and bring those findings back to the Board.