Emergency Management to use state tower

By TOM LAVENTURE

tlaventure@yourdailyglobe.com

Bessemer — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a resolution for a license agreement with the state of Michigan to place emergency management communications equipment on state towers.

The Michigan Public Safety Communications Systems co-location license agreement with Gogebic County will allow county 911 to place VHF radio equipment on the state tower site in Bessemer, said Heidi DeRosso, emergency management and 911 coordinator. The tower will provide “interoperability,” a way for equipment with different interface systems to work together, and will benefit public safety communications in the region.

There is a $431.25 monthly license fee and other fees that will add up to around $6,500 annually, DeRosso said. But that is a large savings compared to going it alone and having to run fiber optic lines and other costs to communicate effectively. 

The agreement is part of the county’s transition to dispatching services from Iron County Dispatch to Negaunee Regional Dispatch The county commission approved a three year contract in August.

The contract was recommended by the Finance, Budgeting and Auditing Committee, and supported by the Michigan State Police-Wakefield Post and Beacon Ambulance Service. The resolution on Thursday will help move up the switchover date to Dec. 16 to having everything running before the holidays, DeRosso said.

Gerry Pelissero, county clerk of court and register of deeds, informed the commissioners that the $52,120 grant application was approved by the County Veteran Service Fund which distributes the funds for the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. The board approved the grant application in September. 

The funds will allow John Frello, county veterans service officer, to enhance service for veterans with financial hardship in seeking federal benefits and access to services throughout the state, according to Frello in September. The county was not eligible for the grant in the past because Frello is technically not a county employee, but he was seeking waivers and exceptions to ensure the program is available in the county.

The commissioners presented a plaque to Jim Saari, the former director of Western Upper Peninsula Manpower, who was present at the meeting. He was honored with a resolution at the Nov. 10 meeting for his eight-year role in trying to get the state to pay its share of the pension owed to the county retirement system.

The commissioners received a letter from Richard Bouvette, the Marenisco Township supervisor, who thanked the county commission and staff on behalf of the Marenisco Board of Trustees, for “its financial and personal support for the township’s efforts to overturn the closure of the Ojibway Correctional Facility.”

The township decided not to pursue the case once the appeal was denied by the Michigan Court of Appeals, he said in the letter. The township will be forced to accept the decision of the Michigan Department of Corrections.

“We still believe we were improperly treated but we have spent as much as we could financially rationalize in our efforts,” Bouvette said. “We also believe that, despite the loss, the ‘good guys’ didn’t win, and we thank you for believing in our cause enough to give us your support.”

In other business, the commissioners approved:

—A $4,117 appropriation to help the offset meeting requirements and travel expenses for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

—Disbursing $7,430 (2%) of funds from the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians from Watersmeet, to help pay for a newer vehicle for the county Search and Rescue Team. 

—Releasing $2,620 in quarterly substance abuse services matching funds to North Care Behavioral Health Network.