By Rosemary Horvath
Herald Correspondent
[private] A tentative agreement outlining new ownership and operations of the Gratiot Community Airport is moving across elected boards this month for approval.
Members of a current airport authority must agree to relinquish control to a new authority created by the Gratiot County Board of Commissioners.
Members of this new airport governing body will be composed of county commissioners exclusively.
They will appoint an advisory committee which will have one Alma city representative as a member. This recognizes Alma’s historical role as the airport’s original owner and allows some say-so in leasing and development of certain parcels the city will forfeit in the changeover.
County administrator Chris Oosterhoff last week informed commissioners that current authority members will vote this month on whether to endorse the changeover.
Involved are township of Arcada and Pine River, cities of Alma, St. Louis, and Ithaca, and lastly, the county itself.
Oosterhoff anticipates the county board will vote on the agreement at its July meeting.
Commissioners also supported a resolution commending Audra Stahl’s role in protecting children as president and CEO of Child Advocacy, a Gratiot County nonprofit dedicated to children and families.
Stahl intends to retire at month’s end after 16 years at the helm.
A second resolution recognized Colleen Davis as Child Advocate of the Year. Both women were featured in the June 8 edition of the Gratiot County Herald.
In a related matter, Stahl requested and received approval from commissioners to have a 2021 contract between the county and Child Advocacy amended.
This pertains to an annual allocation of $135,000 the program received from the American Rescue Plan Act the federal government created to assist through the Covid pandemic.
Child Advocacy applied the funding to its Court Appointed Special Advocacy program to replace lost funding.
Stahl asked to have the final payment directed at the Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention Program.
In the aftermath of Covid, needs related to child abuse and suicide cases have increased “beyond our belief,” Stahl described.
This money will fund the baby pantry, food pantry, and foster closet to help families as much as possible, she added.
She estimated some 200 children from around the county are being served by the abuse prevention program.
Child Advocacy’s Facebook page lists donations of toys, books, diapers, money, and more are appreciated, Stahl said.
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