Most area officials contacted Tuesday said they were still assessing how the federal funding freeze might affect them but hoped they’d see little change even if it takes effect after the judge’s stay.

Kristin Sommerfeld, executive director of the Dickinson Iron Community Service Agency, or DICSA, said the latest notification she’d received from national coordinators was their funding would not be halted for their programs, which include senior meals.

“We’re all hoping that continues to be the case,” Sommerfeld said. “We’re watching everything … right now, it seems to be fine.”

Kingsford City Manager/Clerk Michael Stelmaszek’s only concern was funding the city had secured for the second Heights water main and access line project slated to start this spring, plus the Ford Addition area scheduled in 2026.

The $13.5 million project — which will replace 26,000 feet of old water mains, 336 access lines and affected roads, sidewalks and curbing — is being financed with $11.5 million from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund that channels federal money, with the remainder coming from a U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development loan.

But he noted work on that project won’t begin for months. “I’m just optimistic that everything will be in place” by then, Stelmaszek said.

His counterpart in Norway, City Manager Dan Stoltman, said they were monitoring the situation Tuesday but called it “tough to say” how it might affect the city.

“We’re aware, we’re kind of trying to plan what to expect, just in case,” Stoltman said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Iron Mountain had been made aware of one federal grant that could be affected, but the city has already received 95% of it, City Manager Jordan Stanchina said. The notice came from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and concerned an Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act grant.

Lynette Lorenz, Iron County administrator, answered in a brief email it was “too early to know” what the ramifications of the federal freeze might be, adding, “to be determined.”

Superintendents at several area school districts were contacted but did not respond in time.