Isabella County Sheriff’s Department to apply for $8,000 grant; commissioners approve new mobile computers

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The Isabella County Sheriff’s Department will be able to apply for a state Marine Patrol Grant to receive funding for local marine patrols.

The grant request has been approved by the Isabella Board of Commissioners before being submitted to the state. The exact amount for the grant has not been determined.

It allocates funding toward marine patrols on Isabella County lakes and rivers during summer months, beginning Memorial Day and ending Labor Day.

“Those patrols help the county so that police patrols aren’t taken away from their units,” said John Tellis, undersheriff for the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department. “This way, no department is left shorthanded.”

Tellis said whatever the grant does not cover, the sheriff’s department will take out of their overtime fund.

Last year, the department adopted a budget of $18,163 for marine patrol and spent $16,244. The grant covered $8,000 of the money spent.

If the grant does not cover the full amount of the cost of marine services, the sheriff’s department was asked to come to the commission for an amendment in the budget.

“I am not happy to know the grant is not the full cost of the program,” said Commissioner Roger Trudell. “In previous years they should’ve come to us with a budget amendment before allocating money from the sheriff’s department.”

Other Businesses

Five replacement Motorola mobile computer units will be purchased. These units will be used in police cars in order to look up licenses and background information of people.

The board also approved reductions in the Material Recovery Facility hours during winter months.

Low numbers of visitors encouraged the new hours; Nov. 15 to April 4 the facility will be open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

The center will also change staffing hours in the winter months from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. so they won’t be in the way of snow removal services.

A contract between city and county was also approved, allowing the county to take over inspections for the city when needed.