Marlette is pursuing significant infrastructure investment through two separate grant applications — one at the state level and one federal — that together could fund more than $4.5 million in improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment plant and its water and sewer systems along M-53.
Both applications require a 20 percent local match if the grants are awarded, meaning the city has skin in the game on each project. That structure — competitive grant funding paired with a meaningful local contribution — is the standard framework through which small Michigan cities access the infrastructure dollars they need to maintain and upgrade systems that serve their residents every day.
The council’s decision to pursue both grants simultaneously reflects a practical recognition that infrastructure needs do not pause while funding is being sought, and that applying through multiple channels increases the odds that at least some of the work gets done in the near term.
The State House Appropriations Grant
The first application was submitted through the office of State Representative Greg Alexander for a State House Appropriations grant to fund capital improvements at Marlette’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. The grant requested is $875,135, and if awarded, the city would be responsible for a 20 percent match of $175,027.
Wastewater treatment infrastructure is among the most critical and least visible systems a municipality maintains. Treatment plants process the wastewater generated by every home, business, and institution connected to the city’s sewer system — removing contaminants before water is released back into the environment. When that infrastructure ages without investment, the consequences range from operational inefficiencies and higher maintenance costs to compliance failures that can trigger state and federal regulatory action.
Capital improvements to a wastewater plant — whether that means upgrading treatment equipment, replacing aging components, or improving the facility’s capacity and reliability — extend the useful life of infrastructure that would otherwise require full replacement at far greater cost down the road. The grant Marlette is seeking from Representative Alexander’s appropriations channel is designed to fund exactly that kind of proactive, cost-effective investment.
Representative Alexander has been an active voice on infrastructure and cost-of-living issues across his district. Earlier this year, he was outspoken about the need for Michigan to prioritize funding for core services like roads, public safety, and infrastructure over expanding government programs — a position directly aligned with the kind of targeted infrastructure grant request that Marlette is making through his office.
The Federal House Appropriations Grant
The second application targets a federal grant through Representative Lisa McClain’s office for water and sewer infrastructure upgrades along M-53. The scope of work covered by this application is broader and more varied than the wastewater plant project, addressing several interconnected needs within Marlette’s water distribution system.
The project includes water main replacement — removing aging pipe and installing new infrastructure that delivers water more reliably and with less risk of main breaks and service interruptions. Lead service line replacements are also included, addressing a public health priority that has received significant national attention in recent years. Lead service lines — older pipes that connect water mains to individual properties — can leach lead into drinking water, and their replacement is a direct investment in the health and safety of the residents served by those connections.
Fire suppression improvements are part of the project scope as well, ensuring that the water system’s capacity to support fire hydrants and sprinkler systems meets the demands placed on it during emergencies. And the project includes work to complete a system loop — a configuration that improves water circulation throughout the distribution system, reduces stagnation, and increases overall system resilience.
The total project cost for the M-53 infrastructure work is $3,665,310. If the federal grant is awarded, the city would cover a 20 percent match of $733,062.
What These Projects Mean for Marlette Residents
Both grant applications represent investments in infrastructure that Marlette’s residents and businesses depend on without necessarily thinking about it — until something goes wrong. Wastewater treatment, clean drinking water, functional fire suppression, and modern distribution systems are the unglamorous backbone of a functional city, and maintaining them properly is one of the most fundamental obligations of local government.
For property owners and businesses along the M-53 corridor specifically, the water and sewer upgrades would directly affect the reliability and safety of services delivered to that stretch of the city. Lead service line replacement in particular is a health benefit that affects the residents of every property where those lines are replaced — clean, safe drinking water is not a luxury, and removing lead from the delivery system is a meaningful improvement in the quality of life for the families whose taps those lines feed.
The 20 percent match requirements on both grants mean that Marlette’s taxpayers have a real financial stake in whether these projects move forward. If both grants are awarded, the city would need to commit approximately $908,089 in local matching funds across the two projects — a significant but manageable sum spread across the city’s capital planning over the project timelines.
Grant applications of this nature do not guarantee funding, and competition for both state and federal infrastructure dollars is consistently strong. But communities that apply — that do the work to document their needs, develop project plans, and submit competitive applications — are the ones that access those dollars when they become available. Marlette’s council has done that work, and the city is now in the queue for consideration.
The infrastructure investment conversation has been active across the Thumb region. Huron County commissioners recently supported a federal bridge funding application to replace and rehabilitate three county bridges — another example of local government pursuing outside dollars to address infrastructure needs that local budgets alone cannot fully cover. And the Lexington Harbor improvements — including a $17 million Army Corps of Engineers project and DNR dock replacement — demonstrate the scale of infrastructure investment that is possible when federal and state partnerships align with documented community needs.
For Michigan communities and residents who want to understand how state House Appropriations grants work and how local governments access those funds through their legislative representatives, the Michigan House of Representatives Appropriations Committee provides information on the appropriations process and how community infrastructure requests are considered. And for those following federal infrastructure grant programs and how municipalities apply for House Appropriations funding through their congressional representatives, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee outlines the community project funding process that Marlette is pursuing through Representative McClain’s office.
