The Houghton County Commission will hold their meeting to discuss a mix of old and new business. After the usual approval public comment session, approval of bills, and reports, the Commission will address the old business of the ARP funds and updates on the voter roll. In new business, the Commission will address the Torch Lake Federal Credit Union building. Following this, they will address the proposed state-wide resolution regarding septic system taxes and mandatory 5 year inspections.
The Commission will discuss their opposition to this proposed resolution. They say it will impose greater expenses on the property owners and local health departments, and would increase the demand for septic inspectors which will make it more difficult to hire and retain them. The Board of Commissioners recognize the importance of monitoring and maintaining water sources, but claims the bill does not support a financially feasible solution for those who do not benefit from municipal water systems. The Board also rejects the bill because soil samples differ greatly across Michigan, which makes it very difficult to make a ‘one size fits all’ rule.
After this bill is addressed, the Commission will discuss approval to provide pagers for the Laurium and Calumet fire departments.
The Commission will then have a discussion about the opioids fund settlement. There are many more options to choose from, and the commission will discuss their preferred method tonight.
The meeting begins at 4pm at the Houghton Court House.