Bath-DeWitt

City thanks DeWitt School Board for support of drainage cleaning grant

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By Kamen Kessler
Bath-DeWitt Connection Staff Reporter

City of DeWitt Administrator Dan Coss held a presentation at the Nov. 9 DeWitt School Board meeting to thank the board for their support of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality grant that the city recently got approved. The $1.5 million project is for the inspection and cleaning of all the drainage systems in the city of DeWitt, focusing more on the stormwater system rather than the sanitation one, according to Coss. The grant is worth around $1.3 million with the city paying the other $200,000 for the project, according to Coss. Coss said, “The stormwater system is one of the things we have the least information on in the city, and this will help us better understand everything about it.”

The schools support was vital because some of the stormwater systems are on the school grounds, so for approval of the grant, it was important to have the backing of the school board, according to Coss.

Government

Green infrastructure projects improve Grand Ledge recreation and quality of life

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By Hannah Watts
Grand Ledge Gazette staff writer

GRAND LEDGE — Green infrastructure is increasingly relevant to Michigan, the region and the country. With five Great Lakes and two peninsulas, Michigan represents connectivity. “Many people think green infrastructure has to do with just energy, but really green infrastructure is any infrastructure that is sensitive to the environment,” said Jon Bayless, Grand Ledge city administrator. With green infrastructure improvements well underway in Grand Ledge, such as possible dam deconstruction, recreational trail extensions and rain gardens, community support is essential. “The community has been very supportive of locally-initiated and state-mandated efforts to build and maintain a green infrastructure,” said Kalmin Smith, mayor of Grand Ledge.