Work is progressing on plans to create the Keweenaw County Emergency And Essential Operations Center.
Last week the Keweenaw County sheriff, nature conservancy, and Keweenaw Community Foundation updated the commission on the progress of the project. Last year the collaborative group of the Sheriff’s office, KCF, and Nature Conservancy was awarded a Rural readiness grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity worth 50,000 dollars. The initial funding supported the county engaging with the community to understand what needs and desires Keweenaw County has for the Emergency and essential operations center. The grant was also used to fund conceptual designs for the facility.
In addition to the group updating the county commission on the project’s progress, OHM shared some of the facility’s designs. The multi-use building will house the Keweenaw County search and rescue operations and equipment, include a classroom space for training seminars, offer a central location for emergency operations and a central command for communication, and provide enough space for the road commission to deliver essential services to the community. KCF executive director Robin Meneguzzo and TNC Keweenaw Heartlands project manager Julia Peterson also shared important information about potential funding sources to support the total project. The pair have applied for two grant requests with the state and federal governments. The project hopes to know more about grant awards in the spring.
Those interested in learning more about the Keweenaw County emergency and essential operation center project can find more information here.
