Herald Palladium: Walberg Requests Federal Funds for New Emergency Operations Center

U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg’s office has requested the House Appropriations Committee funding for multiple projects in Berrien and Cass counties. The requests for the six projects total nearly $13.5 million.

Walberg has asked the Appropriations Committee for $3 million for the new center and tower. The Herald-Palladium previously reported it will cost Berrien County roughly $5 million to reconfigure the AEP building in Buchanan as an emergency operations center. The 20-acre property will be the new home of a 800-megahertz public safety radio system, which is estimated to cost about $8 million to build.

The center would service almost 40 municipalities, more than 50 law enforcement and emergency agencies and 154,000 residents, a news release stated.

“Rather than allowing bureaucrats in Washington dictate how to divvy up federal funds, I am proud to submit the projects voiced by constituents on the ground who know their communities and their needs,” said Walberg, R-Tipton, in a prepared statement.

Other projects include extending a shared-use path along South Roosevelt Road in Lincoln Township, a $2 million request. The project would entail building a bridge and boardwalk over Hickory Creek.

Walberg also requested more than $2 million for the Niles-Buchanan trail connection, which will build more than four miles of new trails between the two cities, and $2.5 million for the city of New Buffalo’s waterfront master plan project. The project calls for expanding the beach, building bathrooms and a lifeguard office and creating a new pedestrian boardwalk between Galien River and the beach.

The wishlist also includes $620,000 to replace a water main in the village of Michiana and $3.2 million to replace a water treatment plant in Marcellus.