Marquette County trying for state of emergency declaration again

Marquette County is trying for a second time to have the state declare a state of emergency or disaster for the area because of frozen pipes.

The county declared a local state of emergency in February. In early March, county officials applied to the state for an emergency declaration. Governor Rick Snyder denied the request, but Marquette County tried again earlier this month.

“They requested April 2nd to submit an updated one,” Marquette public works and utilities director Curt Goodman said. “Based on that submittal of the second one, arrangements were made to invite the Michigan State Police up here first-hand.”

The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division visited Marquette County Monday. They held a closed-door meeting about the winter weather damage.

“A lot of things you don’t see,” Goodman said. “(The) destruction, everything’s underground, but as everyone knows, we have faced some difficult times.”

The Ishpeming Department of Public Works has been offering jugs of fresh water to residents affected by pipes that have frozen or burst. The DPW has only a single one-gallon jug remaining, but it has plenty of empty jugs that residents can fill themselves if needed.