A new Mackinac County ordinance will allow off-road vehicles (ORVs) to be driven on unpaved areas of county roads, but not U.S. highways, state highways, or highways in cites or townships that do not approve it locally.

Adopted by commissioners Thursday, August 25, at the request of off-road enthusiasts, the ORV ordinance includes access routes, restrictions, and penalties and becomes effective 30 days after publication.

“This is an enabling ordinance that enables the townships to pass an ordinance to allow the ORV traffic on access routes to trails or open areas,” said Sheriff Scott Strait. “It doesn’t mean you can drive your four-wheelers everywhere. This is only valid in those jurisdictions where the township also adopts this or a similar ordinance.”

Commissioners will review the ordinance in one year.

Steve DuFresne of St. Ignace, who made the request to commissioners earlier this month to consider an ordinance that would help develop ORV trail use, attended the meeting along with county resident Derek Packer, who is forming an ORV club. Both men said that ORV access in the county would encourage visitors to stay in the county, rather than drive through to counties that already have such an ordinance in place.

“This is exactly what we wanted to happen,” said Mr. DuFresne, who now will be contacting townships to see if they will adopt the ordinance.

“Now, maybe we’ll get as many ORV riders up here as we have snowmobilers,” said Mr. Packer.

The ORV group will host a public meeting Thursday, September 1, at 7 p.m. at St. Ignace Middle School to discuss ideas for opening ORV trails.

Commissioners discussed, but took no action on, a letter from Portage Township Supervisor Donald Ferris, who is concerned that the county’s animal control officer will not respond calls at the county’s west end.

“Residents from the three western townships don’t even bother to call because they know it’s useless,” he wrote.

His letter was prompted by an incident in which a resident now is facing criminal charges because he ended up shooting a pit bull running loose in Curtis. According to Mr. Ferris, the dog had a history of killing cats and frightening citizens.

The board voted to put to rest the repayment of county funds issue with the treasurer’s office. County Prosecutor W. Clayton Graham provided commissioners with copies of two checks totaling $5,000 that had been repaid to the county. The money came from payments County Treasurer Jane Hampton had authorized to herself and her chief deputy without board approval.

Commission Chair Dawn Nelson, Commissioner Jim Farero, County Clerk Mary Kay Tamlyn, and a representative from the county treasurer’s office will serve on a committee to figure out what to do about the general ledger, which currently resides in the treasurer’s office. For several years, auditors have advised commissioners that the same office should not keep both the income and disbursement records.

Commissioners will also review the employee manual because of $1,800 in overtime costs over the last eight months in the treasurer’s office. Commissioners said they thought overtime had been eliminated.

“It’s your responsibility to set the salary and the fringe, but I also think it is the responsibility of the department head when you need that increase to come before the board,” said Mrs. Tamlyn.

Commissioners approved the county’s Hazardous Mitigation Plan following a public hearing just before their board meeting. The plan now will be sent to the Federal Emergency Management Administration for approval. If approved, it will make the county eligible for federal assistance during various kinds of disasters. The plan identifies hazards the county my be vulnerable to and details about how they might be minimized.

Semco Energy Gas was asked to submit in writing a request for an easement to install a four-inch gas main to reinforce pressure near the airport. It is needed, the company has said, because of growth in the vicinity, including the planned new hospital.

In a discussion about the county’s Economic Development Corporation, Commissioner Carl Frazier said he had a meeting the previous Monday in Sault Ste. Marie with Luce and Chippewa county officials.

“Their EDCs seem to be functioning and they’re bringing jobs in,” said Mr. Frazier. “What are we doing wrong?” he asked Michelle Walk, director of the EDC, who was at the meeting.

She told commissioners that both of those counties have full-time directors who are partially supported by those counties.

Jim Fararo and Joe Durm will study the work history of a deputy corrections officer who previously worked in the Sheriff’s office and has returned, in response to her request for credit for her earlier work time for retirement purposes.

Commissioners next meet as a committee of the whole Tuesday, August 30, at 5 p.m. to continue reviewing the 2005 budget. Commissioners hope to begin the 2006 budget process at that meeting. They will meet in the commissioners’ room at the County Annex Building.