Daily Mining Gazette file photo Three infrastructure projects in Laurium, including updates to the Village Hall and Department of Public Works buildings

LAURIUM — State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks today announced $2.7 million is being awarded to 12 Michigan municipalities to help fund infrastructure and public safety projects as a part of a grant program for municipalities experiencing budget pressures, including the village of Laurium, in Calumet Township.

The village has been awarded a total of $510,875 for three projects:

• $149,500: Public service enhancement through replacement of roof at the Department of Public Works building;

• $341,075: Public service enhancement through infrastructure replacement at the village hall building and;

• $20,300: Public safety enhancement through replacement of firefighting equipment.

The largest portion of the project funding, said Village Manager Ian Lewis, is to install new windows and doors in the Village Hall building.

“We’re looking to bring it back to the original (appearance),” he said. “The windows in the Council Chambers were originally further down the wall than they are now, so they’re going to bring them back to their original form.”

Included in the grant application was a request for a new boiler system for the hall.

“That’s huge news for us,” said Lewis, “because our boiler has pretty much reached the end of its life.”

The roof of the DPW building has long had issues with leaking, said Lewis, and the funding will allow for a roof replacement.

The enhancement grant for replacement of firefighting equipment will be applied to replacing a door in the fire station and for new hoses and nozzles for the firefighters, said Lewis.

Lewis said grants were applied for around February, 2023.

“This is great news for us,” he said. “It creates the ability for our village to do projects that we wouldn’t be able to do on our own.”

The funding will help to stabilize the village’s buildings

Lewis said that shortly before receiving these grant awards, the village received a separate grant from the Treasury for approximately $52,000 for all new accounting software.

Under the Financially Distressed Cities, Villages and Townships (FDCVT) Grant Program, municipalities can participate if they are experiencing one or more conditions indicative of “probable financial distress” as defined in state law. The grants fund specific projects, services, or strategies — including infrastructure and public safety enhancements — that move a city, village or township toward financial stability stated a June 23, 2023 press release from the Michigan Department of Treasury,

For 2023 fiscal year, the Michigan Legislature appropriated $2.5 million for the program, with a carryover of $176,000 from the previous fiscal year. The FDCVT Grant Program has a $2 million cap per municipality — and grants are awarded based on applications submitted by the municipality.