• Damage from last year's winter season.

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - As fall quickly approaches, many may not even want to think about the winter season just around the corner especially after last year's harsh winter which included the December 2013 Ice Storm that swept through the Greater Lansing area.

Road maintenance and damage from the ice storm took a toll on local budgets and the State of Michigan is helping communities by reimbursing these funds.

"It was not a matter of getting reimbursed for this, but it was a matter of protecting our residents. I think that is where our Township Board and our Township Manager made a strong stand. We are going to protect the people, get them through this ice storm, and if we receive funds later on then that's great, but if we don't, we protected everyone. We did the best we could," said Fred Cowper, Meridian Township Fire Chief.

On March 14, 2014, Governor Rick Snyder signed Public Act 34 of 2014 appropriating $1 million to help fund the clean-up of tree-related damage and debris in the counties and municipalities impacted by the storm.

The Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) reviewed the cost information submitted by local jurisdictions to determine the amount that would be given to each community.

Ingham County will be awarded $214,211.15 with more than $76,000 going to Meridian Township.

"Other than Lansing, we received the most money in Ingham County. That money we received is in support of the brush pickup, providing food to the warming shelters, our overtime for both Police and Fire Departments, snow removal staff, and Service Center staff," said Cowper.

The money is expected to be distributed to individual communities within the next couple of weeks.

The Ingham County Road Department also received $795,000 earlier this year from the State to offset costs for the increased winter road maintenance budget. Ingham County's share of the $100 million statewide revenue is for county roads only.

Most of the money went to cover additional salt, staff overtime, and cold patch material during the winter months.

$250,000 was set a side to match a grant to fund resurfacing of Kinawa Road from Okemos to Dobie Road in Meridian Township. This project is expected to begin after Labor Day.

The rest of the money is being used for additional maintenance called "skip-paving" county wide including larger roads in Meridian Township such as Dobie Road, Jolly Road, Hagadorn Road, and Lake Lansing Road.