House appropriations subcommittee hears dozens of local LDSI requests for infrastructure, public safety and health

LANSING — The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity convened March 18 to hear local and regional requests for Local Discretionary Spending Initiative (LDSI) funding, hearing presentations from municipalities, nonprofit partners and hospital officials seeking money for bridges, water and sewer upgrades, river restoration, fire protection and workforce training.

Chair Jenkins Arno called the meeting to order and the committee approved minutes without objection. Committee members then heard a string of five-minute presentations from representatives and local officials explaining urgent infrastructure needs and how state dollars would leverage federal grants or local matches.

Representative Wenzel opened the testimony with a request on behalf of Van Buren County for $800,000 to replace a structurally deficient bridge carrying CR-657 over the East Branch of the Paw Paw River. Brett Wski, managing director for the Van Buren County Road Department, said the existing span measures 19 feet, 8 inches — short of the 20-foot federal funding threshold — and is under weight restrictions that already limit two-truck passage. “When that bus restriction goes on, there will be a six-mile detour to get to the school system,” Wski said, warning of disruptions to school bus routes and agricultural transport if heavier vehicles are banned.

Michigan CASA asked for $2.5 million to expand volunteer guardian-ad-litem services statewide. Suzanne Patterson, president and CEO of Michigan CASA, told the committee the statewide network currently serves about 1,200 children in 30 counties and that the additional funding would expand programs into unserved counties and increase volunteer recruitment and trauma-informed training.

Representative Tim Beeson presented several requests from his district, including a $1.995 million reimbursement request for Bay City to cover city costs for the Lafayette Bridge project and a $610,000 request for Bay County to upsize wastewater piping to relieve frequent maintenance and accommodate incoming food-processing businesses. Beeson said the wastewater upgrade would leverage roughly $2.5–$3 million in anticipated federal EDA funding.

Other water and sewer priorities included a $600,000 request for Bangor Charter Township to replace lead service lines and build a 12-inch water main loop, a $675,000 request for Standish Township to finish more than 240 residential sewer hookups in a special assessment district, and a $600,000 request for Pinconning to install a force main to bypass a constrained gravity sewer and reduce sanitary-overflow risk.

Representatives and local officials detailed both public-health and economic rationales for the projects. A Standish Township official said the residential hookups address failing septic systems and a decade-long effort to stop E. coli contamination in waterfront canals; the Mancelona Area Water & Sewer Authority described a $1.6785 million request to extend systems into growing commercial areas and to shore up a small wastewater plant.

Environmental and conservation groups also appeared. The Mason Griffith Founders Chapter of Trout Unlimited and partners sought $2.5 million for Ausable and Upper Manistee river restoration — including beaver management, sand- and silt-removal, and in-stream wood installations — saying these actions protect fish habitat and a tourism economy built on angling.

Cities described infrastructure at imminent risk. Algonac’s city manager warned that deteriorating sewer collection crossings under canals could, if they fail, discharge untreated sewer into the St. Clair River; New Baltimore engineers asked for $1.25 million to clean a 30–36 inch interceptor pipe with as much as a foot of debris and to construct surge-well bypasses to prevent backups and protect Lake St. Clair.

Public-safety requests included small but urgent asks: Sherwood Township sought roughly $44,262 to drill a well capable of refilling tankers at 400 gallons per minute to avoid seven-mile tanker runs; several rural fire departments requested vehicle and facility funding, and multiple communities sought water main looping and meter-replacement funds to reduce outages and stabilize billing.

Hospital officials from Hillsdale Community Health Center asked for $2.7 million to buy a da Vinci surgical robot to support OB/GYN, general surgery and urology services, saying the technology helps recruit and retain surgeons and reduces patient recovery times. Hospital leaders said they would contribute roughly $600,000 toward room infrastructure if the state funds the equipment.

Representative Van Workem described a regional wastewater modernization plan in Muskegon County that would require $28 million of an estimated $64.85 million regional upgrade to support private investment and new-jobs commitments. County officials said the project is in planning, with design work in 2026–27 and construction planned to begin in 2027.

Committee members repeatedly asked presenters about matching federal funds, project timelines, Davis-Bacon labor implications for federal grants, whether requests covered engineering and administration fees, and alternative plans if state funding is not secured. Presenters commonly said they already had sought federal or USDA SRF funds or planned to leverage local matches; in several cases they said projects would be delayed, scaled back or require local rate increases if state funds were not approved.

There were no substantive committee votes on any of the project requests during the session beyond the procedural approval of minutes. Chair Jenkins Arno adjourned the meeting after presentations to move to another scheduled engagement.

What’s next: Most presenters described multi-step timelines that depend on budget decisions, permitting (including EGLE reviews where water or wetland impacts are involved), and federal matching awards; some projects said construction could begin within 12–24 months if funding is available. The subcommittee will consider these requests as part of broader appropriations and LDSI budget deliberations.

Quotes from the hearing are drawn from testimony and committee exchanges on March 18, 2026.