It may not be a new cutter, but Charlevoix is set to get a new Coast Guard vessel as early as next year.

The news from Coast Guard Station Charlevoix Chief Charles Burleigh, that the station is scheduled to receive a new rescue boat to replace its aging 41-foot utility boat, was just one of many bits of community information, updates and reports doled out (along with some lunch) at the Charlevoix Area Chamber of Commerce’s second annual State of the Community event at Castle Farms Wednesday.

In addition to Burleigh, other community leaders who spoke at the event included chamber president Erin Bemis, Charlevoix City Manager Rob Straebel, Northwest Michigan Department of Heath Medical Director Joshua Meyerson, and Charlevoix County Clerk Cheryl Potter-Browe.

Burleigh said the new 45-foot response boat-medium, will replace the 1970s-era 41-foot utility boat, which is currently one of two rescue and patrol boats assigned to the station. He said the new vessel will be powered by water jets instead of propellers and its larger size will allow for more crew comfort during long patrols. He also highlighted a new system that is still in the process of coming online at the station — a radio system dubbed “Rescue 21.” He said the new system not only has a wider broadcast and reception reach, but it also can record radio traffic and triangulate radio signals allowing rescuers to get a fix on where a distress call is originating.

Burleigh said typically by this time of the year, the station has switched over to ice rescue operations and training, but the unusually warm winter to-date has prevented many of those activities.

In his report Burleigh said in 2011 station crews were involved with 62 search and rescue cases, logged 1,050 underway hours, conducted 195 vessel boardings, made two “boating under the influence” arrests and made four “vessel terminations” for unsafe or hazardous conditions.

As in past years, station crews also participated in several events including Cherry Festival, Boyne Thunder, several lake swims, and provided security for several fireworks shows, including Venetian Festival.

Looking forward, besides anticipating the arrival of their new rescue boat, station crews expect to be spending more time working with commercial vessels and are continuing their emphasis on a program called Operation Paddle Smart. Burleigh explained the program simply involves owners of non-motorized craft, such as row boats, canoes and kayaks to place a sticker on the vessel with their contact information, making it easier for crews to reunite owners with their property should it drift away from them.

For more information on this or other U.S. Coast Guard programs, contact Station Charlevoix at (231) 547-2565.

Chamber check-in
Chamber president Erin Bemis highlighted several events from 2011 in her report.

Bemis said the chamber’s increased membership over the past couple of years was their focus in three areas:  to spend more time on member retention and less on recruitment; review programming offered and increasing communication with and education of its members and the community.

Bemis pointed to several new events that were launched in 2011 that were not only successful, but will be continued and/or expanded this year. The state of the community address itself was one such event that began in 2011.

Another event that she said was very successful and is expected to double in size this year is the Business Expo and Job Fair, slated this year for March 23 and 24 at Castle Farms.

In 2011 the chamber, working with the other chambers of commerce in the county established the Leadership Charlevoix County program, which seeks to connect today’s community leaders with young professionals in the community to mentor and groom them for stepping into leadership roles in the future.

Bemis said plans call for that program to grow as well in the form of a youth leadership program that will take many of the same principles into area high schools.

Bemis said the chamber continued its efforts to make inroads with leaders in Lansing through various avenues, including participation in a regional chamber organization.

Also high on the chamber’s list of notable 2011 milestones was being named Michigan’s mid-sized Chamber of the Year at the annual Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals Leadership Conference for the second year in a row.

Looking forward, Bemis said the chamber’s plans and goals include continuing to grow the member-to-member discount program, launching a mystery shopper program, introducing a “speed networking” event, continuing to work together with the downtown development authority on economic development, re-establishing an industrial development committee, and continuing other educational programs.

City holds steady
Charlevoix City Manager Rob Straebel filled in for mayor Norman “Boogie” Carlson at the lectern Wednesday because Carlson was unable to get away from his teaching duties at Charlevoix High School.

Straebel said that city officials are encouraged by some numbers that have improved in the city and the area over the past year. Among the numbers he cited were the first anticipated drop in the jobless rate in five years; property values that actually ticked up a bit in the city last year after seeing a nearly 8 percent drop in 2009-10. He said the fact that property values have held even in the face of the city’s declining population is a true testament to the “quality of life and great amenities we have.”

Among the milestones from the past year Straebel highlighted were strides made on agreements and grants for the Lake to Lake Trail, passing a new recreational master plan, work on a possible project with the school district to sell excess capacity on the entities’ shared fiber-optic network, taking over operational responsibility for the Charlevoix Municipal Airport, and the marina posting its best year to date since its overhaul. He also pointed to several grants that the city was able to obtain, including $975,000 for airport equipment from the Federal Aviation Administration and $90,000 for energy efficiency upgrades. Capital improvement projects for the year included a new water main on Bridge Street, street and utility work on Meech Street and repairs at the Charlevoix Golf Club clubhouse.

Looking forward, he said city leaders who are in the midst of working out the budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year will continue to take a very conservative approach to spending. Capital improvement projects on the horizon include street and utility work on Clinton Street and improvements to the now-dirt White parking lot off Clinton Street. He said the city continues to move forward with its plans to use mostly Federal Aviation Administration grant money to build a new terminal at the airport either this year or next.

County updates
Charlevoix County Clerk Cherie Browe said one of the biggest challenges for county officials early in 2011 was re-apportioning the county commissioner districts. Browe said the changes from the reapportionment, mean that for the first time since 1980 none of cities and townships (except Evangeline Township) are split between two commissioner districts. The new districts also mean that come November, two current commissioners will now be from the same district and another district will have no incumbent.

Browe said another big effort made at the county this year was toward energy efficiency . Many of those efforts have paid off with significant cost savings, she said.

She said conservative spending allowed for a $1 million budget surplus to be used for the county’s road fund, to be reimbursed by the county-wide road millage.

Browe said an effort to pay off the county’s debt on the Grandview Bond — likely this year — will save about $700,000 in 2012 alone.

She said the county was also able to save about $500,000 with recent changes it made to the health care plan it offers its employees.

She noted the county’s land bank was able to buy and sell several properties.

Two other developments Browe highlighted included working with Boyne City officials to procure grant money for much of the first phase of a non-motorized trail along Boyne City-Charlevoix Road and a recent move to work with the nonprofit organization Merit to set up the county building as an anchor point for fiber optic internet connections.

Browe concluded saying the county’s goals for 2012 are “to make sure we are financially responsible to the taxpayers and provide the best service we can.”

Health checkup
Dr. Joshua Meyerson from the health department said in a recent study comparing overall health among Michigan counties, Charlevoix County scored in the top 25 percent in all five categories.
But, he said, that information must be taken with a grain of salt. (Just a grain, mind you.)
“Michigan overall isn’t a very healthy state.”

Meyerson said one of the agency’s biggest challenges for the year was replacing long-time health officer Gerry Chase.

He pointed to other priorities for the agency including helping to improve access to quality clinical health care, controlling the spread of communicable diseases, providing care and support to pregnant women, new mothers and families with young children. He said health department officials are also focusing their efforts on improving “care transition” between home and hospital or care facilities.

He said staff also continues their efforts to reduce health risk behaviors, such as obesity, smoking and inactivity, a new early childhood behavioral health initiative and supporting the placement of nurses in area schools.