The Keweenaw Heartlands Board Readiness Sub-Committee is hosting three public informational meetings in June. (Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy (TNC))

KEWEENAW COUNTY — The Keweenaw Heartlands Board Readiness Sub-Committee is hosting three public informational meetings in June, according to Sheriff Curt Pennala, who is a member of the subcommittee. It is a subcommittee of the Keweenaw Heartlands Advisory Committee.

The meetings are informal, open house-style information sessions. They are intended for registered voters in Keweenaw County who may be interested in running for the Keweenaw Heartlands Recreational and Natural Resources Authority Board. The sessions are aimed at Keweenaw County registered voters who may be interested in filing for candidacy to run for the non-partisan Board, and learn what the board responsibilities will include.

Pennala said information will include details on governance that were put in place by the Heartlands Stakeholder Committee.

“These include the Articles of Incorporation, and the board bylaws, along with policies and procedures,” he said. “All of these are materials that the Board, once formed, may want to take into consideration. They might want to change something within the documents, but (the documents) give them something to start with.”

Pennala said while the Articles of Incorporation are available on the Keweenaw County website, the Authority bylaws are a separate document. Documents containing policies and procedures, as well as other documents for the new board to take into consideration are not yet publicly available.

“They’re still being drafted at this time but will be discussed at the information sessions,” he said. “We still have a little bit of time left before the November board election, but by then we will have a full lineup of material for the newly elected board.”

The Authority Board will consist of five elected seats, elected at large from within Keweenaw County. Three of the seats are four-year terms, the remaining two seats are two-year terms. Members of village councils and township or county boards are not permitted to run for the Authority Board, unless they resign their seats before running.

“What we are focused on right now,” Pennala said, “is preparing materials for the new, incoming Board, so there is a seamless transition from what is now the Advisory Committee into the Authority Board.”

Pennala continued.

“We’re looking forward to getting out into the different townships and providing more information to the people who are interested in running,” he said. “It’s one of those things where we want people who are community-minded and who care deeply about Keweenaw County, so we can make sure this whole thing succeeds.”

The dates and times for the sessions are:

* Wednesday, June 17: Keweenaw County Courthouse, Eagle River, 5 p.m.

* Tuesday, June 23, Grant Township Hall, Copper Harbor 6 p.m.

* Thursday, June 35, Allouez Township Community Center, 5 p.m.