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The effort to reduce blight in the Copper Country took a step forward yesterday.
At yesterday’s meeting, the Houghton County Board of Commissioners approved $350,000 to pay for the teardown of eight buildings in the Calumet and Laurium area. The buildings are owned by the Houghton County Land Bank, which generally takes possession of distressed properties that fail to sell at tax auctions.
Most of the buildings are in residential areas. One person has already approached the land bank with interest in building a new home on one of the parcels.
The money will be taken from the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The Land Bank has initiated a second request for money to tear down four more structures in Calumet, Chassell and Torch Lake Township.
Also at yesterday’s meeting, commissioners set up a mental health transport board. The panel will work with a private entity to transport mental health patients in county custody to facilities outside the area for proper treatment. That job has traditionally fallen to the sheriff’s department, and has taken deputies away from their jobs for lengthy periods on runs to downstate facilities. Sheriff Josh Saaranen, County Administrator Elizabeth Bjorn, and commissioners Gretchen Janssen and Roy Britz will sit on the board, and will reach out to add additional members.
Commissioners approved the county’s fourth quarter budget amendments following the yearly audit, and okayed a contract for $13,198 dollars for snow removal at the courthouse this winter.
