By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

Livingston County officials have identified several projects to submit for in a new round of federal funding coming available to the 8th U.S. Congressional District.

At last night’s meeting, County Administrator Nathan Burd informed the Board of Commissioners that Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin’s office was seeking submissions for another round of community project funding from the House Appropriations Committee. Last year, Slotkin’s office selected 10 projects that were all ultimately accepted to receive federal funding, including a water infrastructure project in Fowlerville and a new fire station in Brighton.

Burd told Commissioners that Slotkin will select 15 this year, but there is a tight deadline and they need summaries in by this Monday. He suggested a project for the EMS department that he felt had a good chance to be approved. New power load ambulance fasteners and cots for the fleet would reduce manual loading and the number of responders needed to load a patient into an ambulance, while having the added benefit of being safer for the patients. It could also benefit employee retention and recruitment. Burd said this was the type of project was approved in neighboring communities during the last round.

Commissioners put the issue on the meeting’s agenda and recommended other projects that could benefit from the program. Mitchell Zajac asked for a resubmission of the broadband project that wasn’t selected in 2021 and additional ambulances for EMS. Also selected were requested funding for Onbase systems and implementations for the courts and cybersecurity improvements for County IT.

Discussion led to Commissioner Doug Helzerman asking for an Iosco Township broadband project to be added, but that failed to gain any traction as the consensus as it was felt that the township was able to pursue that, on it its own. Zajac also inquired for the Livingston Arts Council and assistance for a restoration project at the Howell Opera House. There was uncertainty, however, about the eligibility of that project due to the Arts Council non-profit status and Zajac that eventually led to removing the request.

Commissioner Jay Gross, while saying that all the projects were worthwhile, felt the EMS and cybersecurity requests were of a bigger benefit to the greater whole.

One page summaries for these projects are due April 4th.