Midland County OKs grants for rail trail, Census outreach Grants total $30,0000

The Midland County Board of Commissioners has approved two grants totaling up to $30,000 to benefit the maintenance for the Pere Marquette Rail Trail and local Census outreach efforts.

The board met remotely Tuesday using the Zoom video conference service.

The board accepted a grant of $20,000 awarded by the Michigan Municipal League (MML) Foundation to go toward increasing 2020 Census response rates in Midland County.

The award letter specifies that since aspects of the community's census work plan are no longer feasible given the coronavirus pandemic, the MML Foundation has authorized Midland County to make administrative changes to better connect with "hard-to-count" populations.

According to a letter to the board from Midland County finance director Mike Birchmeier, the award letter does not specify time period for the grant, though it stipulates that unused funds must be returned by Aug. 31, 2020.

A request from the Midland County Parks and Recreation Commission for the board to accept a $10,000 grant from the Friends of Pere Marquette Rail Trail was also approved at the meeting. The grant is meant to fund the purchase of a utility vehicle that will be used in the day-to-day maintenance of the 28-mile Pere Marquette Rail Trail.