INGHAM COUNTY RECEIVES PROJECT IMPACT GRANT

The Ingham County Board of Commissioners announced the Project Impact signing ceremony at the Ingham County Courthouse grounds in Mason, Michigan on July 8, 2002 at 1:00 p.m. The ceremony was presided over by Chairperson Pro Tem Victor Celentino and Commissioner and Chairperson of the Local Emergency Planning Committee( L.E.P.C.) Curtis Hertel Jr. Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth and speakers from Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Michigan State Police will be featured.

The Ingham County Board of Commissioners approved in September of 2001 the acceptance of the FY 2001-2003 Project Impact Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the time period of October 1, 2001 through September 30, 2003 at a total cost of $400,000 of which $300,000 is federal funds and $100,000 is the local County match that can be cash or in-kind services or a combination of the two. Commissioner Hertel stated "Project Impact is a program whereby a countywide hazard analysis and risk assessment for natural disasters is conducted jointly with state, county and municipalities in Ingham County and then mitigation projects are put into place to address them."

The Sheriffs Office/Emergency operations division has been working with the L.E.P.C. to develop a full program description and budget to the Board of Commissioners and Controller's Office for final approval which is anticipated in August of this year.

Commissioner Celentino stated " I am pleased to see the level of intergovernmental cooperation from the federal, state, and local level on this particular project and the good work from the Ingham County L.E.P.C. to improve our abilities to plan for and mitigate the impact of natural disasters in our community".