TRAVERSE CITY -- Funding from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act continues to flow into Northern Michigan as "huge pots" of money remain.
Leslee Fritz, director of Michigan's Economic Recovery Office, said the state has received about $3.5 billion more in program and grant funding than its original $7 billion estimate.
"There's still a substantial amount of money yet to be allocated," Fritz said. "We're just getting started. There's still a long way to go."
The Michigan Recovery Office's most recent Nov. 9 report lists more than $50 million in funding for Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Antrim, Benzie and Kalkaska counties, but local agencies report they are scheduled to receive an additional $8 million not yet listed by the state. Not all the money attributed to the five counties will be spent here, a Record-Eagle study found.
Luedtke Engineering Company, of Frankfort, is one example. The Recovery Office said it received $2.5 million for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects on the Great Lakes. Company president Kurt Luedtke said the firm in fact has contracts for $3.37 million, all for projects in Ohio or the Detroit region.
Following is a list of significant funding for projects and programs in the Grand Traverse region:
MULTI-AGENCY GRANTS
-- $6.2 million, special education, Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District.
-- $6 million, home weatherization, Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency.
-- $4.13 million, job retraining and a one-time summer youth work program, Northwest Michigan Council of Governments.
-- $800,000, financial counseling and emergency financial assistance, NMCAA.
-- $480,000, Head Start staff raises and training, NMCAA.
-- $400,000 to support the Traverse Narcotics Team.
-- $246,000, food assistance programs, NMCAA.
ANTRIM COUNTY
-- $3.3 million, Jordan River National Fish Hatchery, to cover raceways, install geothermal heating, improve its wastewater treatment and install turbines to generate electricity from streams.
-- $2.2 million, state highway and county road construction.
-- $2 million to public schools.
-- $1 million for leaking underground storage tank cleanup, Butch's Tackle & Marine, Bellaire.
BENZIE COUNTY
-- $3.37 million, Luedtke Engineering Company, of Frankfort.
-- $1.36 Million, Benzie Transit Authority.
-- $995,000 to public schools.
-- $215,000, county road repaving.
-- $100,000, law enforcement grant, Benzie County Sheriff's Department.
KALKASKA COUNTY
-- $905,000 to public schools.
-- $383,000 to the Kalkaska County Sheriff's Department.
-- $350,000 to resurface County Road 612.
-- $211,000 for community police officers, Village of Kalkaska.
GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY
-- $6.2 million to public education, including $4.6 million for Traverse City Area Public Schools.
-- $2.8 million, fire station, Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department.
-- $2 million for crack-sealing, pavement markings, and road construction on state highways and city and county roads.
-- $1.7 million, the expected additional student financial aid at Northwestern Michigan Community College
-- $200,000, Traverse City Housing Commission to refurbish elevators.
-- $157,000, Northwest Michigan Health Services, to increase staffing at farm workers clinics in Traverse City and Oceana County.
-- $81,000, public safety grants to Traverse City and Grand Traverse County.
LEELANAU COUNTY
-- $3.9 million, passing lane and resurfacing of M-72 and County Road 651.
-- $2.25 million to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
-- $646,000 to public schools.
-- $531,000 to Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians for housing.
-- $398,000, rural law enforcement, Grand Traverse Band.
-- $388,000, domestic violence and sexual assault program, Grand Traverse Band.
-- $160,000 energy-efficiency grant, Grand Traverse Band.
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