Mayor Pro Tem Leon Laylin and Second Ward Councilman James Dodd attended the CMAQ meeting Dec. 6 at the Cass County Road Commission in Cassopolis.

CMAQ stands for Congestion, Mitigation and Air Quality improvement program, which provides a funding source for state and local governments to fund transportation projects that help meet Clean Air Act requirements.

Purpose of the CMAQ program is to reduce congestion and improve air quality.

Michigan has 25 counties currently not meeting National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and fine particulate matter.

Cass, Berrien and Van Buren counties are classified as “maintenance” areas for ozone and particulate matter, as designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Activities include those that reduce congestion, such as traffic flow improvements, funding of transit operations, other programs that promote car pooling and van pooling and directly affect the level of ozone precursors and small particles emissions.

This is the same grant program in which Hill Street and Middle Crossing walkways were previously approved.

“This year,” according to City Manager Kevin Anderson, we are working jointly with Pokagon Township to extend sidewalks on M-51 South from the intersection of M-62 to Pokagon Street. After reviewing our information, the project was slated for the 2014 and 2015 funding cycles. We look forward to working with Linda Preston, Pokagon Township supervisor, to get these sidewalks built.”

 

Public hearings

 

There were no comments on the city’s intent to change the administrator of the energy optimization program to Efficiency United.

Council also condemned a dilapidated house at 311 N. Paul St. as a public nuisance.

“Neither code enforcement or I have received anything” from the duly-notified owners in Georgia, City Clerk James Snow said.

Snow thanked Town and Country Garden Club for decorating City Hall, including greens along the council dais and a second-floor blinking tree visible down Main Street to Burke Park.