Menominee County Board postpones decision on aging resolution

MENOMINEE, MICH. – With the need for senior services in the Upper Peninsula expected to surpass available funds and labor in the future, how best to decide who gets served is addressed in a new implementation plan that the Menominee County Board opted not to take action yet.

Over 91% of the rural population and 31% of the general Upper Peninsula population are 60 and older, including about 36% who are at the poverty level. About 94% of the Area Agency on Aging population received services last year, according to the UP agency.

To determine how funds are allocated to Michigan residents, the UP Area Agency on Aging will screen people based on age, a nutrition risk score and any diseases or medical conditions they might have.

The agency’s $6.5 million senior-services budget includes $3.1 million in state funds and $2.4 million in federal funds, according to the plan. About $2.98 million is earmarked for nutrition services, with home-delivered meals accounting for $1.4 million and congregate meals accounting for $1.27 million. In-home services are budgeted for $1.3 million, while caregivers’ services are slated to receive $958,000.

In Wisconsin, the biennial budget bill Gov. Tony Evers signed into law July 3 includes more support for older Wisconsinites in some of the same areas the Michigan Area Agency on Aging plan addresses, including home health care.

While on the federal level Medicaid cuts are expected, Wisconsin’s 2025-27 state budget provides over $53 million in funds to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for health care, including for home health services.

The full board attended the July 8 County Board meeting, where Commissioner Steven Gromala objected to the motion to remove from the agenda the resolution in support of the Area Agency on Agency’s implementation plan, but the motion carried 8-1. Commissioners Jeff Carlson and Dr. Donald Park brought forth the motion to remove the agenda item for the second time in two meetings.

Gromala said the county board has discussed the UP Area on Aging report annually, and he objected to comments about the report’s wordiness. “I would like to know what the words are that are too wordy and why we’re not going to do what we’ve done every year,” Gromala said.

Board Chair Larry Phelps took the side of Carlson and Park. “Nobody has to go into their personal reasoning,” he said. “People aren’t willing to get into their reasoning out of respect for another commissioner quite frankly. It’s imperative to keep an element of decorum on this board.”

Commissioner Zak Aubert also questioned what language in the report was an issue. Phelps responded by saying, “If nobody read the resolution, I’m not here to critique them for that. The only opinion in all fairness is to remove it from the agenda, because there are pages and pages.”

Phelps also said that by removing the item from the agenda, the board is taking a neutral stance on it instead of forcing a vote.

Information about the UP Area Agency on Aging/UPCAP Services Inc.’s 2026 implementation plan was contained in the agenda packet. It’s expected to be promoted on social media in the U.P.
Home-based care will be prioritized, though funds for homemaking could be reduced in the future, the agency said. The agency said it will continue to advocate for policies that help people remain in place, while providing hospital services and food as medicine.

The Area Agency on Aging said it will prioritize services to the following groups: seniors who live alone, face increased barriers to well-being, those with diverse backgrounds, with limited English language proficiency, LGBTQIA people and those 75 and older. It also plans to look at Activities of Daily Living scores. “Individuals with higher scores are given priority for services, moving ahead on a waiting list if necessary. Conversely, those with lower scores may be placed on a waiting list to accommodate individuals with more urgent needs,” the agency said.

With grant funds earmarked for training direct-care workers, the agency plans to work with IMPACT Alliance to improve the quality of training. “We know that confident and well-trained direct-care workers will remain longer in the their roles and have more job satisfaction when they are given adequate and consistent training opportunities,” the agency said.

Transition services for those interested in moving from nursing facilities to community-based settings will be offered, the agency said. With a focus on aging in place, the Food Bank Council of Michigan aims to increase access to locally sourced foods and dairy by providing vouchers and reimbursing businesses, the plan said.
Besides vouchers, the Area Agency plans to provide direct services, such as care management, caregiver counseling and transportation, with the state providing about $525,000 for them.

Cuts to aging programs on the federal or state level could lead to less money for community programs, fewer people served and the elimination of some non-essential senior services, such as home-making, according to the Upper Peninsula Area Agency on Aging.

In other items discussed at the July 8 Menominee County Board meeting, the commissioners supported bringing Amtrak passenger rail service to the Upper Peninsula.

In discussing a resolution they passed in support of rail service, the commissioners said several million people visit the U.P. each year, contributing to a $1.6 billion tourism industry.

“The expansion of Amtrak passenger rail service to the upper Peninsula is a win-win situation for Amtrak’s business and for enhancing tourism and recreation in the Upper Peninsula,” Phelps said. The resolution noted Amtrak plans to extend its passenger rail service from Milwaukee to Green Bay and into other parts of northeast Wisconsin.

The commissioners also supported a Community Action Agency resolution related to eliminating poverty and improving opportunities for people of all ages. The board voted without opposition for a resolution celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Menominee, Delta and Schoolcraft Community Action Agency & Human Resources Inc.

The commissioners approved the purchase of a sport-model vehicle for the sheriff’s patrol assigned to ride on trails. County Sheriff Darrin Kudwa noted the rough terrain of the trail and added that “you can still use this for everyday purposes.”

Finally, At the June 24 County Board meeting two weeks prior, the commissioners appointed Warren Suchovsky to the Menominee County Planning Commission for a term ending April 20, 2028. It approved a $7,841 allocation of the Hannahville Grant fund for portable radios for the sheriff’s office. It heard a presentation from Brad Younk from Country Mile Document Destruction who is working on building a recycling center in Menominee County so materials to be recycled could stay in the county, according to the meeting minutes.