Bob Pokorski, with the Keweenaw County Planning Commission, discussed a proposed grant from TNC for a new county master plan. (Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette)

EAGLE RIVER — The Keweenaw County Board last week approved a proposal for a $75,000 reimbursement grant for an updated county master plan.

Bob Pokorski, with the county Planning Commission, told the board at its regular November meeting that County Attorney Chuck Miller initially had expressed concerns of the agreement’s original draft.

“I think we addressed all of those in the last month,” Pokorski said, “so, you have the updated agreement.”

Pokorski said Miller’s last concern was what if the millage request for funding a full-time zoning administrator doesn’t pass, which it did not. The ballot proposal, however, was a tax question, not one of zoning, Pokorski said.

“It’s still good for the county to have a Master Plan, whether or not we have zoning in the future.”

In considering the millage request failure, County Commission Chairman Don Piche asked if it is possible to create a master plan without zoning. Pokorski said yes.

“I know Grant Township, where I’m a resident,” he said, “is looking to institute a Master Plan regardless of whether they have to do zoning or not.”

The county is going through a lot of changes now, Pokorski said, particularly when considering the Heartlands situation combined with its other issues.

Pokorski said there are three documents regarding the grant agreement with TNC. One, a work plan,  requires a signature, from Piche. There is a draft of a request for proposal to seek consultants to help with the master plan.

“It’s a two-year timeline, basically, 2025 into 2026,” Pokorski said, “and if you approve this, and we initiate this with TNC, the work for the Planning Commission begins.”

The grant is a reimbursement grant. All the terms in the agreement must be met in order for the county to be reimbursed.

The grant opportunity was proposed by TNC in April for funding through TNC for a master planning process. The name of the grantor has not been made public.

“These funds were gifted to the Conservancy by a foundation that was very interested in supporting the Keweenaw Heartlands Project,” said Julia Petersen, project manager for the Keweenaw Heartlands,in April.

As part of the support, she said, the foundation is interested in how the Keweenaw Heartlands Project interacts with the rest of the community and the community’s planning.

The board approved the proposal. Commissioner Jim Vivian was absent.