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Benton Harbor accepts $84,848.85 EGLE grant to expand youth environmental work; commissioners press for clarity on kayaking component
Summary
The City Commission voted to accept an $84,848.85 EGLE grant to support 2026–27 summer youth employment tied to Ox Creek restoration. Commissioners asked for details about a recreational kayaking exposure element and who would be paid; the city manager said kayaking is an educational exposure activity, not a paid job.
The Benton Harbor City Commission voted unanimously to accept an EGLE Eagle Career and Workforce grant of $84,848.85 aimed at expanding summer youth employment tied to environmental career pathways and Ox Creek restoration.
The grant will supplement the city’s existing CDBG‑funded youth program and cover PPE, tools and materials to support hands‑on environmental stewardship, the city manager said. "With additional funding, the summer youth employment program will be able to be extended to support and expose youth in Benton Harbor to various environmental science career pathways," the resolution text said as read aloud during the meeting.
The vote followed detailed questioning about how grant activities would operate. Commissioner Henry repeatedly pressed for specifics about an apparent kayaking activity included in a committee attachment, saying he had asked about it before and wanted to know "what is the kayak doing with this project for our youth to work in the summer?" Henry said the board needed to know who would be paid and how students would be chosen, and warned against practices that favor friends.
City Manager Alexander Little replied that the kayaking element is an educational exposure component — "it wouldn't be an actual job. Just exposure to part of the educational component of the grant" — intended to show youth invasive species along the Paw Paw riverfront and teach restoration needs. Little said wages in the grant are "primarily for the youth, and a couple of additional supervisors that'll be brought in to support them," and that cleaning duties would be handled by existing janitorial staff, not the youth participants.
Mayor Pro Tem Turner noted a committee attachment that referenced temporary park restrooms and urged support for using local personnel to reopen and maintain Benton Harbor park restrooms during program hours. Commissioner Kennard asked staff to ensure the grant research include tracking the status of a locally significant plant (the rose pink) and the impact of invasive species such as Japanese knotweed.
The commission approved the resolution to accept the EGLE grant and authorized the city manager to execute its terms.
What happens next: City staff will administer the grant in coordination with the existing summer youth program; commissioners requested clearer written details on the kayaking/exposure activities, payees and supervision before implementation.
