St. Joseph City Commissioners plan to meet with officials from other nearby communities to discuss how to handle harbor dredging if Berrien County decides to do away with the county harbor authority. City Manager John Hodgson tells WSJM News the commercial dredging is federally funded, but someone needs to fill out the paperwork.
“To continue with dredging of the commercial port, the Army Corps of Engineers will need a local sponsor,” Hodgson said. “That could be one of the existing local governments, or it could be perhaps an authority consisting of those local governments.”
Then there’s the issue of the commercial harbor.
“There, it’s a lot more nebulous to figure out what sort of authority could or should take place and what the funding source could or should be for future dredging for recreational projects,” Hodgson said.
Hodgson says commissioners are extending invitations to leaders in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph Township for some discussions. The county is likely to disband the harbor authority by the end of the year.
