Trails in the News - Press Clipping Files

Last year, the county board of commissioners supported the project, but did not not commit funding. Each county the trail runs through - Alpena, Presque Isle and Cheboygan - was asked to commit $20,000 to the project. Presque Isle and Cheboygan have each committed their portion.

The 70-mile, crushed limestone trail would run from Alpena through Alpena Township, Maple Ridge Township, Posen, Millersburg and Onaway before ending in Cheboygan. Its $3.1 million price tag is mostly covered by grant money, but a 5 percent match - about $156,000 - is required from local government.

Emily Meyerson, trailways coordinator for the Top of Michigan Trails Council, asked the Alpena County Finance Committee to commit $20,000 toward the project because engineering work on the trail has begun, and the local matching funds need to be met for the grant money to be released.

The funds would be programmed in the 2010 budget but released in 2011, committee Chairman Gerald Fournier said. He said that may create a problem because county officials have repeatedly warned of the financial problems the county could face in 2011 if state revenue sharing isn't restored.

Fournier said he supports the trail project but the $20,000 expense may be hard to justify given the financial climate.

"It's a good thing ... but to say to a man 'you're laid off but we're giving $20,000 to rails to trails' (isn't fair)," he said.

Onaway City Manager Joe Hefele spoke to the committee in support of the project. Onaway has committed $2,640 to the project.

Hefele said it may be the only chance a project of this scope is done in the area because so much of the funding is coming from state and federal sources.

"We see a lot of bang for our buck with this," Hefele said.

The finance committee voted unanimously to send the $20,000 request to the budget committee, which will hold its first meeting Oct. 8.

Sean Harkins can be reached via e-mail at sharkins@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688.