IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County will begin an effort to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in the county jail.

A resolution adopted by the county board introduces the “Stepping Up” initiative, which is led by the National Association of Counties, the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation.

Jails have a prevalence rates of serious mental illnesses three to six times higher than for the general population, those organizations say.

According to Sheriff Scott Rutter, the county will access the resources of Stepping Up to see if the program can be productive.

Essentially, the county wants to better identify adults entering the jail with mental illnesses, while trying to match them with available treatment services and programs, including those for substance abuse. The goal is to develop a plan with measurable outcomes that reduces recidivism.

In other action, the county board:

— Heard Equalization Director Sid Bray review the 2017 Equalization Report, which shows an increase of about $3.3 million, or 0.4 percent, in the county’s taxable value compared with 2016. “I’d call it a flat year,” Bray said. The county’s total equalized valuation is about $1.03 billion.

— Approved a schedule of matching funds for a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grant of $30,000 for new playground equipment and site improvements at Lake Antoine Park. The county is committing up to $10,000 while the Lake Antoine Park Partners would provide up to $2,000. Additionally, $2,100 in in-kind labor is expected from the county, along with $3,000 in in-kind labor from Lake Antoine Partners. The total match, then, is $17,100, or 36 percent of the $47,100 cost. The county should learn by the end of the year if a grant will be awarded for the 2018 project.

— Approved a request from Judges Mary Barglind and Richard Celello to increase the contracted compensation by 1 percent for attorneys representing indigent defendants in the 41st Circuit Court. The total annual cost of the increase will be about $2,200, Bousley said.

— Approved several Michigan Department of Transportation contracts related to Ford Airport. MDOT will reimburse the county up to $5,000 for cooperative airport awareness efforts, up to $9,500 for a brush cutter attachment and a truck engine overhaul and up to $2,500 for passenger seating upgrades in the airport terminal.

— Reported 1,712 boardings at Ford Airport in March, along with 1,585 inbound passengers, numbers that Commissioner Joe Stevens termed “fantastic.”

— Heard Chairman Henry Wender congratulate Dickinson County Healthcare System for being among just three hospitals in the state to earn an Excellence Award in patient safety from the Economic Alliance for Michigan.

— Adopted a Municipal Employees Retirement System program for voluntary employee retirement contributions. The intent is to give employees an extra option for retirement planning. There is no cost to the county, Controller Brian Bousley said.

— Rescheduled the May 18 Finance Committee meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.

— Held a closed session for a scheduled personnel evaluation for Bousley, who was hired a little more than six months ago.