By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Ortonville- On Monday night, the village council voted 6-0 to distribute half of their $7,000 Community Development Block Grant money to emergency services and the other half to child care services. The portion going to child care services would help to support Brandon Groveland Youth Assistance.
“Currently we receive CDBG money from Brandon Township and we received money from Groveland Township last year,” said BGYA Chairman Bob McArthur at the meeting. “This year Groveland is in jeopardy, I’m not sure they’re submitting for the 2019 CDBG funds.

One of the rules that we were unaware of last year was that the only ones we could submit reimbursement for was the 13 and over, and obviously we do a lot of under 13 scholarships through recreation which caused problems. My thought was to come to the village and ask for CDBG funds, and then we can do under 13 in one municipality and over 13 in the other.”
Funds through CDBG for BGYA must be used for those that require under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and must be spent first then the money will be reimbursed through CDBG. Those who fall under youth services are classified as 13 and over, and those under child care services are classified as 12 and under.
“We roughly get somewhere around seven or eight thousand dollars, that doesn’t include the fundraising we do ourselves,” said McArthur. “Our board is not made up of fundraisers, they’re folks that have a deep concern for the kids, but our meetings are typically brainstorming on what we can do and how in the world we’re going to do it.”
Both the child care services and emergency services will receive $3,500 each.