A Lake County commissioner raised objections to a regional climate-action planning grant and said he will register formal opposition at upcoming NOWACA (Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency) meetings and likely vote against county participation if the issue returns to the board.

Commissioner Beveridge described a roughly $1 million U.S. EPA grant that NOWACA and participating counties used to develop a draft five-county climate action plan. He said $300,000 of the grant was intended to support county-level input and that the draft plan has been circulated for review on short notice. Beveridge said he has concerns about the grant’s local value and priority compared with immediate infrastructure needs in Lake County.

“I have a significant problem with us spending a million dollars to come up with a plan for a five-county region,” Beveridge said on the record. He added that while he does not dispute climate change generally, he questioned the effectiveness of a regional planning exercise compared with funding roads, bridges and other county infrastructure. Beveridge told the board he planned to voice his displeasure at upcoming NOWACA executive and quarterly meetings and said he expected to face a board vote on county participation in September.

Another commissioner on the dais supported Beveridge’s position on prioritization of federal grant dollars for local infrastructure needs, and county staff noted that certain federal grants can carry requirements or “strings” that influence local spending. At the meeting, a commissioner stated the county’s expected share from the grant would be about $96,000 but did not provide a breakdown of how those funds would be used.

No formal vote on NOWACA participation or acceptance of the EPA grant was recorded at the meeting. Commissioners said additional discussion and possible formal action could occur at a future meeting after review by the county’s NOWACA representatives and staff.