MARQUETTE — The Marquette County Board of Commissioners approved a measure Tuesday to make K.I. Sawyer a commercial rehabilitation district.

The measure aims to allow for urban growth and renewal of properties by freezing the taxable value of the properties prior to work being done.

“At Sawyer, most of the remaining properties need rehabilitation and this is a good mechanism to incentivize development,” said Marquette County Administrator Scott Erbisch. “This type of district is being used in the city of Negaunee.”

Originally the item was brought to the county board at its Feb. 4 meeting, but was miscategorized as an informational item but has now been approved.

The next step for the commercial rehabilitation district will be a public hearing at the Forsyth Township Board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. in the Gwinn Clubhouse located at 165 N. Maple St.

“Forsyth Township desires to promote beneficial rehabilitation, renovation or development of obsolete or vacant property within the township’s Sawyer Commercial Area,” said Forsyth Township Zoning Administrator Crystal Johnson.

The total amount of tax abatements are unclear as of now, as the projects that would receive them are yet to be approved. The total coverage area of the current commercial rehabilitation district zone will be the entire west side of K.I. Sawyer and half of the east side.

“I fully support that,” said Erbisch. “I think these tools, especially in the areas that are more distressed, really value from these tools for development.”

Also at the county board meeting, a member of the Michigan Leadership Institute, Chet Janik, provided a privileged comment on the search for the Marquette county administrator who will be replacing Erbisch at the end of this month. There are 27 applicants for the position.

Interviews will be held on Monday and Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Commissioners Room. The county board also had a discussion if there should be an interim county administrator put in place, with a majority expressing opinions that there wouldn’t be a need.

After the county board meeting, the commissioners held a closed session to discuss varying qualifications of the applicants.

“The search for a county administrator is probably one of the most important tasks you have as the county board,” said Janik. “The decision you make will impact the county for, hopefully, many years.”

This meeting also saw an approval from the county board to expand the limit of county jail inmates allowed to be held at neighboring county jails.