By Paul Garrod
Staff Writer
PAW PAW – Van Buren County Commissioners on Tuesday, Aug. 9, formally approved a request to increase the current salary of interim Van Buren County Administrator Ryan Post to the starting salary listed on the job posting of $135,000, and to be back paid from his appointment date of May 24, 2022.
Post was appointed to fill the position after former County Administrator Frank Hardester resigned. Since then, Post has been fulfilling that position, as well as his regular position of county finance director. Post will be paid that salary until the position is filled, then he will resume his current salary.
Commissioners also approved the creation of a County Parks & Recreation Commission. Following state legislature guidelines, which describes the required structure of a county parks commission, commissioners approved the following Van Buren County Parks and Recreation Commission members: Mike Chappell, interim chair; Richard Godfrey, representing commissioners; a representative of the Van Buren County Road Commission; Joe Parman, representing the Van Buren County Drain Commission; Kurt Doroh, representing the Van Buren County Planning Commission; John Small, representing Van Buren County Buildings & Grounds; and Ryan Post, representing finance.
Commissioners also approved a request for a salary exception for a general maintenance carpenter position, and to place the employee at the top of the Unified Pay Scale, Range 20H, at $22.12 per hour, instead of the beginning wage of $15.86 per hour. Commissioners said the county Buildings & Grounds current general maintenance carpenter is retiring. The salary exception was requested due to the extensive experience the candidate offers. The candidate is currently working with Summit as technical support to the county with more than 10 years of experience in working with fire technology science, which, in the end, will save the county money, according to commissioners. The candidate has more than 20 years of construction background experience. The retiring employee is at Range 20G, $21.86.
Commissioners also approved a motion to follow best practices of comparable counties, which is not to have county commissioners present at union negotiation meetings. Commissioners said the history of union negotiations has had three county commissioners assigned to the labor, negotiations, and contracts committee attend union negotiations. The county’s administration team and labor attorney will attend the negotiation meetings and present their negotiation requests to commissioners prior to the meetings. They will also bring back any requested changes to the board before agreements are executed.
A contract with Hartford Public Schools for a fulltime deputy was also approved by commissioners. Hartford Public Schools was seeking a contract with the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office for a fulltime deputy working at Hartford Schools nine months out of the year and three months (summer) for the Sheriff’s Office as a road patrol deputy. Commissioners said the nine months would be covered by Hartford Schools and the remaining three would be covered by the county Public Safety Millage. Commissioners said the contract mirrors Paw Paw Public Schools.
Commissioners also approved a request for Post to negotiate and sign lease agreement documentation with the USDA for property at 57418 County Road 681, Hartford, removing former County Administrator Frank Hardester as the point of contact.
A 2022 agreement with Van Buren County and Market Van Buren was also approved by commissioners. In June, during a Committee of the Whole meeting, the board voted to terminate the Kinexus Palisades agreement, and requested a new agreement with Market Van Buren.
Commissioners also approved to eliminate the $10 fee that the county charges for the issuance of cremation permits effective Sept. 1. According to commissioners, the elimination of cremation permit fees would reduce general fund revenues by about $5,000 per year, but also reduce the direct fees paid to the Operations Consultant by about $2,400 per year, a net annual loss of about $2,600. Commissioners said, however, the proposal would also eliminate other staff time required for data management, billing, receipting, banking, enforcement, budgeting, and reporting that.
A request from Roberta and Paul Moller, who own a parcel of Syndicate Park, South Haven, was approved by commissioners. The parcel sits adjacent to several other parcels already owned by the county. Purchase price was $3,600.
Commissioners approved a request from Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center for use of the parking lot of the 801 Hazen St., building for the 2022 Paw Paw Vineyard Classic Bike Tour on Sunday, Sept. 11, beginning at 7 a.m.
The Paw Paw Vineyard Classic Bike Tour has been a longtime tradition in Paw Paw, first started by the Paw Paw Women’s Service League. KELC Events, a non-profit, provides collegiate internships for students in sport management, event management, marketing, and public relations. They offer students the opportunity to learn how to create and implement sport and recreation events by using the Vineyard Classic as a traditional event.