The Delta County Board on Tuesday approved several agenda items, including a letter of support for the regionalization of defense attorney services between Iron, Dickinson and Delta Counties.

ESCANABA – The Delta County Board on Tuesday approved a letter of support for regionalizing defense attorney services among Iron, Dickinson and Delta counties. The letter will be submitted to the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) as part of a fiscal year 2027 grant application.

Iron County Attorney Daryl Waters, who works in collaboration with the Iron County Board of Commissioners, has been assisting Delta County following the termination of its contract with lead attorney Jim Maki in November of 2025. After that separation, Waters offered to serve as Delta County’s lead attorney through a memorandum of understanding with Iron County for fiscal year 2026.

Delta County Administrator Emily DeSalvo said the county has continued to act as the fiduciary – writing its own grants and processing payments – while utilizing Waters’ services.

County administration is now recommending a regional approach with Iron and Dickinson counties, which would allow Delta County to establish its own public defender office.

“One of the challenges that we have been facing for years is the lack of attorneys that we have access to here in Delta County,” said DeSalvo. “A lot of our funding through MIDC and our county appropriation is spent for attorneys outside of the area to come into the area to take on cases that we have conflicts under or when caseloads are too high and we need to redistribute those cases out.”

The proposal has been discussed with Delta County judges, Waters and the county’s MIDC regional representative.

“We’re trying to not overwhelm the dockets of the judges and keep the judicial process going,” DeSalvo added. “This would help in that defendants would have direct access locally to their attorney with an office here – a satellite office here – in Delta County for people.”

DeSalvo said the collaboration between counties would also benefit judges and the prosecutor’s office by expanding access to the regionalized attorneys.

Under the proposed arrangement, Iron County would become the fiduciary, taking over administration of the MIDC grant. Delta County would transfer its appropriation to Iron County, which would handle financial reporting and grant compliance.

“Iron County Attorney Waters would be in charge of all financial obligations regarding it, all reports to the state through MIDC,” DeSalvo said. “Delta County would have access to that. We just wouldn’t be the ones actually administering that.”

Waters would serve as lead attorney, coordinating defense services across the collaborating counties.

In other news, the board:

– Tabled an amendment request to correct an inconsistency in the Delta County Airport Advisory Board’s (AAB) bylaws. While the agenda item requests to amend an inconsistency in the length of board members’ terms as written in the bylaws, Commissioner Christine Williams noted she feels there is more than one inconsistency that should be addressed.

– Signed letters of support for the Ford River Township Fire Department, that is requesting a congressional Discretionary Funding grant to purchase a new pumper truck; Baldwin Township, that is requesting a Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant to improve Perkins Park; and the City of Gladstone’s Congressional Directed Spending application for the North Shore Development project.

– Approved writing letters of support for Escanaba City Manager James McNeil’s applications for congressional funding for three projects: the replacement of the bridge connecting Aronson Island to Ludington Park, the Escanaba Energy Resiliency and Grid Security Project – with unspecified details – and the replacement of Escanaba’s water treatment plant’s filter system.

– Approved a resolution authorizing the Delta County Parks and Recreation Department to apply for a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant in the amount of $400,000. The application details the Pioneer Trail Park Campground Bathhouse Development project for fiscal year 2027-2028, which will construct a new ADA-accessible bathhouse on the south end of the campground. The new bathhouse project aims to improve restroom, shower and sanitation facilities for campers and day-use visitors. The board committed $134,000 in funds from the parks’ fund balance upon approval of the grant, making up 25% of the total $534,000 project cost.

– Approved a request from Prosecutor Lauren Wickman to fill the vacant Assistant Prosecutor position. Lauren Mattson recently accepted a promotion to the position of Chief Assistant Prosecutor.

– Upheld the board’s denials of four Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) appeals.

——

Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.