[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6656764,"mediaKeyId","5116682-019c3fb918bb8a9d4fdf561aae454791","parentId",5116682,"title","Board backs opioid settlement allocations to four local agencies, funding plan covers 17 months","audioSeconds",154,"startMs",2336000,"endMs",2490000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116682-019c3fb918bb8a9d4fdf561aae454791&start=2336&end=2490","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116682-019c3fb918bb8a9d4fdf561aae454791/thumbnail_2336000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6656764/Gratiot-County/Michigan/Board-backs-opioid-settlement-allocations-to-four-local-agencies-funding-plan-covers-17-months","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656764-4b4fc125500eed25449520a02df65dc8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186765&Signature=UJSeybWkGABqYELE5gTrMoJGTKx-NhEkBpdEKgAJf4GKU3kgxtl9X~xFx6F5QtX8rugftVJpTyNvrS8AHQxoJ314NjnnLUSOxbaH-eaFTaNwxMD6KfSLJayaxoWgeJoi~f0uXCzwEz8yV9KI7q2sUemoHFGiH1W~Adw~E6ySesfNBiCVCA0GdgBq61CqVdxs1Zw5SNaPSmNgaYhbns2~GXV6g~p4EWlH2hwB2KyzEhRBl9hKNTVuQa-4z5MOj4PKP4t9BmFdSr3DWugiCUv11~u2-pWDbM9jKTB3pqzryVrMgywyw-Z~n~vjZX7p5~G2sstQyCpSMPGd6k9lgohAXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-02T09:15:47Z","article","The Gratiot County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to support recommendations from the Gratiot County Opioid Advisory Steering Committee to allocate opioid settlement funds to local agencies, the committee’s representative told the board during new business.

Liz (representing the county opioid advisory steering committee) told the board the funds available through national opioid settlements will be available to the county for 18 years and that the committee recommended awarding a set of allocations to four local agencies to cover prevention, treatment, recovery, education and harm‑reduction activities. She said the committee’s request covered a 17‑month period through Dec. 31, 2026, as a transitional allocation for 2025–26.

“We agreed that we would be able to spend what was, available per year. So we're now looking at '25 and '26 to give a head start to those who are, being recommended,” Liz said. She added that the committee received five applications and recommended funding four, and that two recommended awards were reduced so the proposals fit the committee’s budget target of about $120,000 per year plus retroactive adjustments for an additional five years for 2025.

A board member moved to support the committee’s recommendations; the motion passed on a voice vote with all members saying “aye” and no recorded nay votes.

The committee said the recommended proposals align with national‑settlement guidance used by Johns Hopkins public‑health advisors and the Michigan Association of Counties. The specific agency names and award amounts were not stated on the public record at the meeting; the committee packet (as referenced by the representative) lists the recommended recipients and dollar figures.

Action taken at the meeting was limited to the board’s support for the committee recommendation; the board did not adopt a separate ordinance or funding resolution at this meeting. The committee said it will proceed with the recommended awards and the timing outlined for the 17‑month allocation period.

The vote occurred during the meeting’s new‑business period and no public comment preceded the motion on this item.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Gratiot County Board of Commissioners Meeting 7/1/25 - Part 1","oneSentenceSummary","Gratiot County Board voted unanimously to support the Opioid Advisory Steering Committee's recommendation to award opioid settlement funds to four local agencies for a 17-month period through Dec. 31, 2026, with annual budget guidance.","taxTitle","Gratiot County, Michigan","taxId",51990,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6656768,"Residents raise safety, setback concerns as DTE representative urges balanced local ordinance on battery storage",1646,148000,1794000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116682-019c3fb918bb8a9d4fdf561aae454791&start=148&end=1794","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116682-019c3fb918bb8a9d4fdf561aae454791/thumbnail_148000.jpg","/articles/6656768/Gratiot-County/Michigan/Residents-raise-safety-setback-concerns-as-DTE-representative-urges-balanced-local-ordinance-on-battery-storage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656768-aa59154f43209235346043fc2fc7b576/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186765&Signature=QFudfYluZvT7GDL2AfFaaJkj9AC7AiAubvt8XZkp3srNEy2SbWQm8CYBZ7j9OJKHHMvluUJqJALRWkXPvYNWJsxccoBf~hlL4xhCg5MjQ9bllyd7cPOVwBYX1zzCeRb-8yqijvdp8QoxQdwBw7UVEKRlsu6PsZT22cPGjLfEEcatu2CQYvs16DtnURS6UynuDg6pDvY95KM-plrBv1oVs-5iGEIn6BOJZ2xLcCvKIG8b5Kvrhm2MUMX9TJ~aeMNVn2DH8BvY~K6t7htRPxY1vohp3zeL-gA-RjiNH7rp2M8psoWD6x4yhaknhOETv4a4jbcY6-HzABkdwqOKMdgt1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Public comment at a Gratiot County Board of Commissioners meeting focused on battery energy storage systems and the county ordinance being drafted to regulate them, with residents raising safety and environmental concerns and a contractor for DTE urging measured rules to preserve local control.

Speakers at the microphone described worries about contamination from failed systems reaching farm tiles, ditches and lakes, the adequacy of setbacks and landscape screening, and the ability of local soils and wildlife to support planned vegetation buffers. A DTE-affiliated speaker sought to counter those concerns by citing modern safety standards and permitting requirements and warning that overly restrictive local rules could push applications to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC).

The exchange was part of the meeting’s public-comment period and did not include a formal vote or ordinance action. Board members and staff said the planning commission is drafting an ordinance and that additional technical information will be gathered before any final local rules are adopted.

A DTE representative, speaking as a contractor working with DTE Direct, described differences between past incidents and current systems and cited national safety standards. The representative said Moss Landing was “a repurposed warehouse, not a purpose built facility,” and asserted that modern battery energy storage systems are designed and tested to contain failures. He said, “There is no evidence from the EPA, CDC, or NIOSH showing that battery storage events like Moss Landing result in long term community health issues, toxic fallout, or airborne nanoparticles affecting miles of homes.” He also cited UL 9540 and UL 9540A testing and NFPA guidance and described permitting and third-party testing as part of the regulatory process.

Multiple residents pushed back, citing local farming practices and water runoff as risks. One resident said: “I farm. I know exactly how stuff gets into farm tiles, and then it ends up in a ditch,” and asked whether developers would accept long-term financial responsibility for cleanup and harm. Residents raised specific concerns about setbacks and screening: they questioned whether 100-foot or 150-foot setbacks were sufficient, proposed three-row plantings that suit local soils, and said deer browsing can kill newly planted screening if species and soils are not matched.

The DTE contractor said company permits and conditional use applications include decommissioning and liability provisions and that some developers would consider state siting if local rules are judged unworkable. The contractor noted state siting could allow different standards, including sound limits cited in state-level discussions — “55 dBA sound limit at the dwelling” and setbacks “as close as 50 feet from the property line,” he said — and characterized the result as a potential loss of local control for siting decisions.

Speakers referenced several local planning and screening issues: whether drain tiles could be rerouted as part of siting mitigation, how many acres a storage facility actually needs (developers spoke of projects needing roughly 12–20 acres depending on size), and whether strict setbacks (for example, 600 feet) would leave insufficient acreage on many parcels. Commenters also invoked prior wind and solar projects in Gratiot County to argue both that farming can continue around energy infrastructure and that past projects have sometimes required company follow-up to repair farm tile damage.

No formal action was taken. Board members said staff would gather additional technical responses to questions raised during public comment, including the feasibility of rerouting drain tile and the specifics behind setback calculations, and that the planning commission’s draft ordinance would be refined with input from residents and developers.

The discussion occurred during the public-comment period and centered on planning commission draft language; the county did not adopt or reject any ordinance at the meeting.","Public comment at a Gratiot County Board meeting focused on proposed local rules for battery energy storage systems; residents raised environmental and safety concerns while a DTE contractor argued strict limits could push developers to state siting.","actionData","errors"]

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Board backs opioid settlement allocations to four local agencies, funding plan covers 17 months

Residents raise safety, setback concerns as DTE representative urges balanced local ordinance on battery storage