By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - A computer-based program used by the Cass County Road Commission helps interested townships analyze what funding level will yield desired results.
Compared to health, education and welfare, Michigan has done a "relatively poor job" funding roads.
The state ranked 44th in 2000 - and that represented an increase from 49th in 1992 per-capita spending, Bellina said.
Maintaining the county's primary road system is the responsibility of the Road Commission."Any reconstruction that must occur on those roads is the responsibility of the townships, whether they are gravel or paved roads," Bellina said. "We have a policy whereby we distribute a certain amount of funds to the townships each year."
The Road Commission recommends roads in its judgment townships should address, but it's not a mandate. "They can apply the 50-percent matching funds to our suggestions. We have several townships that, after they expend all of their match money, if they have other roads they want to do, they pay 100 percent."
Critical bridge funds
requested from state
Bellina said the bridge closed on Northrop Street in Calvin Township last week "is right around the corner from the bridge on Chain Lake Street closed last fall." Both cross Christiana Creek.
Constituents urged
to contact road panel
Though lots of constituents contact county commissioners directly, Bellina suggested those calls be redirected to the Road Commission.
Service calls are routed to a district foreman initially. If a problem proves beyond his ability to solve, he consults with the superintendent or Bellina because each request generates a formal response. "
Sometimes it's not what they hoped for," Bellina said, "We're limited in what we can do sometimes.
Two major wind storms thrashed Cass County in May and June 2004, Bellina recalled. "We spent a good deal of time just cleaning that up countywide. We spent somewhere between $350,000 and $500,000 just removing trees from those two storms, and it ate up a good deal of time. There were a lot of places we didn't get to. Just in February we had 17 days without snow, so if they weren't patching holes, they were taking down trees."