Congressman Mark Schauer is committed to getting results for the people of Eaton County. Below is an overview of his efforts to bring jobs and investment to our area.
Recovery Act: Road Funding
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Congressman Schauer voted to support, Eaton County will receive $47.8M in funding for reconstruction and enhancements of I-96 and M-50/M-99. This allocation includes $45M for rehabilitation and reconstruction of I-96 from M-43 to Wacousta Rd in Eaton and Clinton Counties, starting in July, 2009. The Recovery Act also includes $699,495 in funding for streetscape enhancement of M-50/M-99 from Hallawood to Kimbark in Eaton Rapids, as well as $2,100,000 for resurfacing on that same stretch of M-50/M-99.
Recovery Act: School Funding
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Congressman Schauer voted to support, Eaton County school districts are expected to receive the following funding amounts:
- Charlotte: $192,328 Title I-A increase; $695,000 IDEA increase
- Eaton Rapids: $206,396 Title I-A increase; $661,000 IDEA increase
- Grand Ledge: $267,976 Title I-A increase; $1,092,000 IDEA increase
- Maple Valley: $152,942 Title I-A increase; $353,000 IDEA increase
- Olivet: $73,844 Title I-A increase; $251,000 IDEA increase
- Potterville: $39,137 Title I-A increase; $164,000 IDEA increase
Recovery Act: Public Safety Funding
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Congressman Schauer voted to support, Eaton County and the City of Charlotte will receive two grants through the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice. The allocation includes includes $65,618 for Eaton County and $16,950 for the City of Charlotte. This funding will be used to help communities keep their neighborhoods safer with more police officers, prosecutors, and probation officers; more radios and equipment; more help for crime victims and more crime prevention programs for youth.
Recovery Act: Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants
Amount: $409,819
Implementing Agency: 56th Circuit Court - County of Eaton
The project will allow the expansion of Eaton County's Felony Sobriety Court, a highly structured community-based program for repeat drunk drivers who otherwise would serve lengthy jail sentences.
2010 Appropriations Requests
As part of the 2010 Appropriations process, Mark requested the following projects for Eaton County. To learn more about this process, and see a complete list of projects our office requested, click here.
City of Eaton Rapids Flood Damage Reduction
$100,000 – Energy and Water
This project will help the City of Eaton Rapids reduce damage from flooding. The city is located at the intersection of the Grand River and Spring Brook, and in the past year there have been two flood events during which the city required sand bags around the river. This request is a good use of taxpayer dollars because it will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to complete a flood mitigation study of the area including elevation studies of the land in and around the water shed area, and review of the dams in Eaton Rapids and the power producing dam at Smithville, to reduce the likelihood of flooding in the future, particularly in the city’s historic district.
Recipient:
City of Eaton Rapids
200 S. Main St.
Eaton Rapids, MI 48827
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Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Initiative
$700,000 – Energy and Water
This project is for the design, engineering, and construction of five plug-in hybrid electric car charging stations to be located in highly accessible public locations in Delta Township. The Department of Energy estimates that the deployment of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in America would reduce fuel consumption by 50%, and help shift electric demand to cleaner and cheaper off-peak usage. “Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Current Status, Long-Term Prospects and Key Challenges,” Tony Markel, DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2006). This request is a good use of taxpayer dollars because the Board of Water and Light anticipates that this project would create 25-40 new jobs.
Recipient:
Board of Water & Light
1232 Haco Drive
Lansing, MI 48912
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BioEnergy Generation Demonstration Project
$4,000,000 – Energy and Water
The project is the conversion by the Board of Water and Light of the existing pulverized coal facility at its Erickson power plant in Delta Township, into a facility that uses biomass and biofuel for generation. Burning biomass and biofuels will reduce the amount of coal burned and greenhouse gas emissions. The conversion project involves the design and installation of equipment to allow biomass and biofuels to be utilized in conventional pulverized coal fired boilers.
The required project infrastructure includes loading/unloading facilities for handling large quantities of biodiesel, inside storage including agitated tank systems to prevent the bio-diesel from gelling, and biodiesel injection guns. A majority of the power plants in the U.S. utilize pulverized coal fired boilers, so these biomass-biodiesel conversion technologies would have potential application throughout the utility industry. This request is a good use of taxpayer dollars because the Board of Water and Light expects this initiative to create 32 jobs.
Recipient:
Board of Water & Light
1232 Haco Drive
Lansing, MI 48912
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Bus and Bus Facilities, Eaton County Transportation Authority
$1,136,500 – Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
This funding request is for the purchase of 4 medium duty buses, 4 minivans, replacement of a 10-year-old maintenance truck, and upgrades or replacement of other equipment. The Eaton County Transportation Authority service area includes DeltaTownship, Grand Ledge, Potterville, Charlotte, Eaton Rapids, Olivet, Bellevue, Dimondale, Sunfield, Mulliken, and Vermontville. This request is a good use of taxpayer dollars because it will improve and enhance public transit services for residents across Eaton County.
Recipient:
Eaton County Transportation Authority
916 E. Packard Hwy
Charlotte, MI 48813
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Keystone Project to Reduce the Need for Re-Hospitalizations
$500,000 - Labor Health and Human Services
The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) Keystone Center for Patient Safety & Quality is a 501c3 organization that works with Michigan hospitals on a voluntary basis to improve patient safety and reduce health care costs through the implementation of best-practice evidence. With this funding request the Keystone Center would focus on the expensive and dangerous incidence of patients who are discharged from the hospital but then subsequently require costly hospital readmissions.
This request is a good use of taxpayer dollars because it will allow Keystone Center, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Community Health, to launch a statewide effort in Michigan to reduce the gap between the best clinical evidence for reducing hospital readmissions in such cases and the actual practice in Michigan hospitals, coordinating and supporting implementation teams made up of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, hospital administrators and other key personnel in the hospital.
This project would create at least one new direct job and retain five jobs in Eaton County.
Recipient:
MHA Keystone Center for Patient Safety & Quality
Michigan Health & Hospital Association
6215 W. St. Joseph Highway
Lansing, MI 48917
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LCC West Campus Advanced Technology and Electric Vehicle Jobs Training
$2,000,000 - Labor Health and Human Services
This request is a good use of taxpayer dollars because it would expand Lansing Community College’s existing automotive technology program through the acquisition of equipment and development of curricula to include all aspects of technician training for hybrid/electric/alternative fuel vehicles, including vehicle repair/maintenance, operation, safety, and electric vehicle components (transaxles, batteries). The project would provide training and infrastructure to demonstrate operation of electric vehicle charging stations, and software to access necessary data for new technologies.
Lansing Community College faculty would establish partnerships with key automotive manufacturers and dealerships launching electric hybrid vehicles to create a pipeline for electric vehicle technician training in the region. This training would take place at LCC’s West Campus in Delta Township, in Eaton County.
Recipient:
Lansing Community College
8100 A-Administration
PO Box 40010
Lansing, MI 48901
Transportation Request
On behalf of Eaton County, Mark has made the following request for funding in the 2010 surface transportation authorization bill.
Engineer, plan, design, and reconstruct 1.3 miles of Five Point Highway from the bridge over the Battle Creek River to the bridge over I-69, including bridge, causeway, and viaduct replacement and construction, right of way acquisition, drain relocation, installation of bicycle lanes, environmental review, and construction of wetland and floodplain mitigation and protection measures in Eaton County, Michigan.
Due to the seasonal and frequent road flooding, poor pavement condition, and unprotected water hazards and wetlands on both sides of the road, this is an area of safety concern. Frequent intermittent road closures from flooding make route planning difficult for commercial, industrial, or agricultural shipments. Reconstructing the roadway will provide dependable agricultural and commercial shipments and deliveries. When the road is closed during flooding, the shortest detour around this section of road on other primary paved roads is 6 miles.
Requested amount is $3,120,000.
Green Schools Funding
Congressman Schauer voted in favor of legislation that will improve our public schools, create clean energy jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower energy costs for taxpayers. According to the House Education and Labor Committee, local school districts are expected to receive the following funding amounts for FY2010 under the House-passed bill:
- Charlotte, $177,000
- Eaton Rapids, $167,000
- Grand Ledge, $212,000
- Maple Valley, $146,000
- Potterville, $39,000
- Waverly, $219,000
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