State Suspends Mich. County`s Emergency Funding

Jan. 19--TRAVERSE CITY -- Michigan State Police suspended funding for Kalkaska County's emergency management program when it failed to meet state standards.

State police Capt. Chris Kelenske wrote a letter to Kalkaska County commission chair Stuart McKinnon on Dec. 8, indicating the county no longer meets the minimum standards for the state's emergency management program, which include maintaining an emergency plan, sending quarterly reports and participating in emergency training.

"I have not received (emergency services coordinator Mark Laskowski's) quarterly reports, the needed reports from 2015," said state police Lt. Michael deCastro. "That is why the money was withheld."

Laskowski resigned from his part-time post through an email to Kalkaska County Sheriff Pat Whiteford on Jan. 7. His last day will be Jan. 21. His salary was $13,100 per year.

Laskowski also works as Bear Lake Township's Fire Chief, as a paramedic with Frederic Township Fire Department in Crawford County and as a paramedic at Munson Medical Center. He said the lost funding isn't the reason for his resignation.

"I currently have four jobs and that's just too much and I don't have time to fill the requirements of that position so I'm resigning because I'm busy with three other jobs," Laskowski said.

State police withheld Kalkaska's funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Performance Grant, a pot of money available for counties to help pay for their emergency services programs. Counties receive EMPG money and are more likely to receive disaster assistance if they fulfill requirements such as sending timely reports, maintaining emergency plans and participate in training, deCastro said.

EMPG funds typically tally $8,000 per year for Kalkaska. The grant helped pay Laskowski's salary, deCastro said.

Laskowski hopes to retroactively receive the EMPG money when he submits paperwork.

"I'm working with the state police and the board of commissioners to rectify that situation prior to my final day with the county," he said.

Counties must have emergency management coordinators in place, deCastro said. Coordinators are appointed by county boards of commissioners, and are responsible for disaster preparation and training and coordinating meetings for local emergency services groups.

The chair of a county's board of commissioners is ultimately responsible for emergency coordination, deCastro said. County leaders typically appoint emergency management coordinators to take over the duties.

"They're on the right track as far as trying to locate somebody new and get a new plan in place and get the ball rolling," deCastro said.

The notice was a surprise to Kalkaska County Commissioners, said Commissioner Alan Hart.

"So much goes on in the county, it's mind boggling to try to stay on top of it," Hart said. "We rely on our people to keep up on it and for some reason the emergency management coordinator couldn't."

Commissioner Craig Crambell said he hopes to fill the open position soon and require the new coordinator to report regularly to the county board.

"We're actually implementing a new policy where they're going to be answering once a month," Crambell said. "Somebody's going to be accountable to the full board so we can keep a grip on what's going on."

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