The Culver Town Council revisited a discussion about Blue Zones during their last meeting in December.
Culver Town Council President Bill Githens initiated a discussion in early December concerning the town’s match toward a proposed Blue Zones initiative that is reportedly designed to improve access to health and wellness for residents. The topic was brought up during council issues and not as an item listed on the council’s agenda.
The town previously agreed to provide a match toward Blue Zones in the amount of $25,000 for each of the three years to initiate the program in Marshall County. During the town’s December 13 meeting, the council voted 3-2 to pull the $25,000 proposed match from 2023 only to possibly be used for other matters within the town’s budget. Mid-year salary increases were discussed, but decisions were made in the matter.
According to information about the program in stories contributed to MAX News by Jamie Fleury from The Pilot News, Blue Zones helps establish places including restaurants and grocery stores that offer healthy food options and increase walking trails, an initiative already embraced by Marshall County through Stellar and Regional Cities, to help increase access to improved health factors.
During the December 27 discussion, Councilman Rich West commented that he thought that the topic should have been on the agenda so the council members could do more research prior to the meeting for discussion. He added that the council was given a proposal in March from those involved in the Marshall County Regional Crossroads team that have done research for over two years on the initiative and the funding was supported at that time by the council by a majority vote.
Councilman Bill Hamm questioned the data and statistics concerning the research and wanted to see the results in the communities that have instituted Blue Zones.
Councilman Bill Clevenger offered input saying that it seems Blue Zones is government overreach.
When asked what would be provided in the high cost of the program, Marshall County Crossroads Executive Team member Linda Yoder said consultants would provide a local team training to get healthy initiatives underway and to continue them after the three-year process. It also anticipates to promote population growth with healthy initiatives.
Council President Bill Githens said there were no deliverables that he thought would be offered in the program.
The discussion was held prior to the announcement of READI grant funding, which, if awarded, would have funded a good chunk of the $6 million needed for the three-year Blue Zones process with a previous commitment from Culver in the amount of $25,000 in each of the three years to support the program. Other municipalities and organizations also approved funding for the program as well.
Since that meeting, Blue Zones did not receive READI funding, but Yoder stated other private investment is being sought to get the program off the ground.
After a lengthy discussion during the December 27 meeting, the Culver Town Council members approved a motion by a majority vote to reinstate $15,000 of the 2023 funding for the program. Council members Sally Ricciardi, Bill Clevenger and Rich West voted in favor while Bill Githens and Bill Hamm voted against the motion.
