Commissioners approve regional Brownfields agreement after MACOG reports $1.5M EPA assessment grant

Leah Thill, director of sustainability at the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG), told the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 3 that the regional Brownfields Coalition has been awarded a third EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant totaling $1,500,000 to be divided among four counties.

"We just were awarded our 3rd EPA grant for 1,500,000 to divide amongst, the needs for Brownfields assessment in our 4 counties," Thill said, describing the grant as funding assessment, cleanup planning and reuse planning but not direct cleanup work. She also noted that the Tolleson Center For Community Excellence will replace Elkhart County as the formal coalition member to satisfy the grant's requirement for a nonprofit partner.

Thill listed prior projects assisted by MACOG through earlier grants, including Diamond View Apartments, Ward Bakery Building redevelopment and work on Washington Street. She said the coalition uses an intake form and a regional scoring matrix to prioritize sites and that there is no local match required from property owners or prospective purchasers for assessment work under this grant.

After Thill's presentation, the commission moved to approve the memorandum of agreement updating the coalition membership and operating framework. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Commissioners emphasized the importance of the program for understanding redevelopment costs and risks; no clean-up funding was promised or authorized in this agreement. The coalition's allocation and specific site selections will be decided by local government staff on the working group, including a representative from St. Joseph County.