The Dorr Township Board Thursday night in a special meeting voted unanimously to authorize Supervisor Jeff Miling to apply for American Rescue Funds in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Miling called the special meeting hastily because the deadline for application is Tuesday, July 27.
Deputy Treasurer Jim Martin said according to latest figures Dorr stands to get as much as $826,568 in federal funds, but all local officials cautioned that red tape and certain federal requirements could make things cumbersome.
“If you want the money, you serve under their rules,”Miling said.
The federal document set Dorr Township’s population at 7,897 in the 2020 census, causing the figure bandied about earlier to rise slightly.
Martin said the current guidelines make it possible for Dorr to pick up even more revenue from municipalities that chose not to apply.
Martin Township informally has decided to apply because, as Trustee John Schipper said, township officials can return the money if they don’t like the rules.
Other muncipalities and pending funds are Hopkins Township, $220,537; Leighton Township, $624,453; Martin Township, $245.029; Monterey Township, $257,275; Watson Township, $229,224; Waylandf Township, $360,165; Hopkins Village $68,534; Martin Village, $42,809; Wayland City, $42,225.
Though it was noted there is a lot of popular support for spending money on broadband Internet service, Dorr Parks Commissioner Mike Grafton proposed that up to $200,000 of the money go to improvements of the local parks, including mile track around the park, a dog park, tennis courts resurfacing and the River to River trail project.
“The parks are going to be very much an attraction in the coming years,” he told Township Board members.
