Have to find alternate source

A Florence Township official will have to look for an alternative source of financial help to address a crumbling roadway in his jurisdiction, as he was turned down for assistance by county officials Tuesday.

For the second time in two months, Florence Township Supervisor Gordon Evilsizor asked the commission for consideration to help replace Constantine Road from Dickinson north to Fairchild roads. A cost estimate he shared was $718,000 for rebuilding the roadway through Florence Township.

Evilsizor said the condition of the roadway is dangerous and motorists are forced to drive in the middle to avoid potholes and blemishes along the edges of the road.

Commission Chairman John Dobberten acknowledged the deteriorating condition of county roads in general. For local units to come in and expect the county to pick up the cost of repairs, however, is “unimaginable,” he said, as the county has hundreds of miles of roadways under its jurisdiction.

Dobberteen said he would encourage the county road commission to increase its annual assessment when it is up for renewal next year, or urge local units of government to follow the lead of the city of Sturgis and offer a millage specifically for road repairs.