The three-way county match program that supports road projects in the townships received a $130,000 commitment from the Mackinac County board of commissioners Monday, 29, during a special meeting to iron out a misunderstanding with the road commission. The county will distribute $10,000 to each of the 11 townships and two cities in the county, to be matched by the road commission and each municipality.

Road Commission Manager Dirk Heckman and Commission Chairman Frank Luepnitz took part in the hour long discussion, as did representatives from the City of St. Ignace and Portage, Moran, Clark, St. Ignace, and Hudson townships.

The Monday evening meeting was scheduled when county commissioners heard that the road commission no longer supported the match program, which was implemented years ago to provide money to the townships for crushing road gravel. The money is now be spent for general road repairs, maintenance, and improvements.

"The Road commission definitely is in favor of the match program," said Mr. Heckman. "I don't think it has ever been opposed to the match program."

He suggested the confusion arose over the road commission's stance on what projects qualify for the funding support. The original spirit of the program was for road preservation, said Mr. Heckman.

"We are opposed to making townships participate in what we might consider routine maintenance," he added.

Routine maintenance, he said, is the responsibility of the road commission and includes repairing pot holes and road wash outs, blading a road, and snowplowing.

Hudson Township Supervisor Al Garavaglia noted that in the last couple of years, the road commission has used most of its funds to plow snow and has run out of money for routine summer maintenance.

Mr. Heckman replied that along with less funding from the state, the road commission has cut back on plowing this year in hopes of funding year-around work, which would include maintenance.

At one time, he noted, townships could have a blacktop overlay put on about a mile stretch of roadway for $30,000, which was the combined total of the match program for the municipality. Today, that same project would cost about $100,000.

All attending Monday's meeting agreed that, while the program is important, it needs to be modified to address the rising cost of road work. Mr. Heckman suggested the county accumulate its annual commitment to allow the funds to grow.

"If the townships didn't spend their full match money this year, it would roll over to another year so that they could do a whole mile or a half-mile a little more efficiently," he said. "As the jobs get bigger, you get a little better prices.

"The gravel match program, I think, has evolved into a cumbersome program where there's township gravel, road gravel, road commission gravel. I don't think it is in the best interests of the townships to say we want two inches on this road, we want a half-inch on this road, and six inches on this road."

Doing road work that way does not last, he said.

"I don't see it being an efficient use of public funds," he said of the current use of gravel.

Mr. Luepnitz agreed.

"I think what the townships were doing, and the county, too, was saying, We're going to lose the money if we don't use it," he said. "If they know they can take that $10,000 and it's still there for next year, they could probably do bigger projects. It's a good idea. I hope that can work."

Dawn Nelson, chair of the county commission, will work with Mr. Heckman to survey the township supervisors on their opinion of setting up an accumulating account. Mrs. Nelson also wants to seek legal advice on the legality of the account and how it should be managed. A recommendation is expected to come before the two commissions within the next three months.

"We're trying to figure out what is best for everyone concerned," said Mrs. Nelson, "and for our part, all we're trying to do is help the townships not have to dig into their own coffers, their coffers aren't too deep, and help with these roads."

Moran Township Supervisor Jim Durm said he would like to see the road match program continue and that it has been beneficial for his township. He said billing in the last few years has been a little cumbersome.

Mrs. Nelson said the townships, several years ago, complained they did not want the road commission to receive the money. At that time, the county required townships to present work receipts in order to get county reimbursement.

Eight supervisors she talked to then, she noted, also said they were confused about their inventory of road gravel, and several thought other townships were stealing their gravel.

Mr. Heckman suggested townships hold off on work until they have accumulated enough money to pay for a blacktop project, rather than have money sitting in gravel inventory.

To build a road, it takes about 5,000 yards of gravel per mile at six inches deep.

Pat Abram from Portage Township said his township is in favor of setting up an account where match money could accumulate, and John Townley, also of Portage Township, suggested the townships sign off on road work before the road commission can take money from the account.

Frank Harness of Clark Township said his township keeps close track of its gravel inventory, and Supervisor Gerald Hill said he supports Mr. Heckman's idea of moving away from the use of gravel and, instead, planing for blacktop projects.

St. Ignace City Manager Eric Dodson and Department of Public Works Director Les Therrian attended the meeting. The cities of St. Ignace and Mackinac Island receive $10,000 from the county commission, but no match from the road commission, which does not operate in cities, because cities have their own road programs.

"We're all in the same boat," said Mr. Dodson; "money is very tight. We're going everywhere to listen and learn. If there are other funding sources where we can partner together, we're open to all things."

County commissioners will also talk with the city about hiring salting services for the court house parking lot on an as-needed basis. The city helped at the building last week when the parking lot was covered with ice and county trucks were too far away to respond.

County commissioners next meet Monday, January 5, at 6 p.m. at the court house, when they hold their organizational meeting.