Mqt. Co. Bd. gives Soil Erosion Project more funds

Marquette County’s Soil Erosion Program was granted $25,000 at the Marquette County Board of  Commissioners meeting Tuesday night.

The commission voted 5–1 to give the program funds.

Right now, the Soil Erosion Program is not bringing in enough revenue to cover costs of operation.  The program brings in about $43,000 in revenue, but costs $56,000 to operate.

The commission did not approve a motion to put the Soil Erosion Program back in control of the county.

“We have an administrator on board and financial person on board at the county level that have done a remarkable job and continue to do that, and I would like (the program) under their control,” Marquette County Board Vice Chairwoman Debbie Pellow said.  She put forth the motion to put the Soil Erosion Program in control of the county.  “And when it’s under the Conservation District we have no control over that.”

“I don’t have a problem of taking a look at it at the end of the year, but I think that we would see that we would be subsidizing it,” Commissioner Paul Arsenault said.  “It would be more of a cost to us if we took it back in house.”

“We should work  with these people to see if they can sustain their program would be the idea,” County Board Chairman Gerry Corkin said.  “As a fallback, we can take it back in house.”

There was also approval to look into the frozen meal programs that deliver to senior citizens and find ways to improve the quality of food.