By Paul Garrod
Staff Writer
PAW PAW – The Van Buren County Board of Commissioners approved a request Sept. 26, to authorize the use of $950,000 in ARPA funds for a Van Buren County Youth Center in conjunction with the Van Buren Intermediate School District (VBISD).
Commissioners have had numerous discussions on the use of ARPA funds to address youth mental health issues because of COVID. VBISD officials have worked with commissioners
and other stakeholders to develop a conceptual program.
In another area, commissioners approved a request to fill two expiring terms on the Board of Canvasser for a four-year expiring Oct. 31, 2027. Nancy Thomas, a county Republican, and Doug Cultra, a county Democrat, were selected to fill the two, four-year terms.
The county committee of each political party is required to submit to the county clerk no later than Sept. 1, of each odd-numbered year the names of three persons qualified to serve on the Board Canvassers. The county clerk then presents the submitted names to the county Board of Commissioners, who are then required to fill each vacant position with one of the three persons nominated for the position.
Michigan election law stipulates that the county Board of Commissioners must elect the positions “by ballot.” As the Open Meetings Act prohibits voting procedures at a public meeting which prevents citizens from knowing how members of a public body voted, a “secret” balloting process cannot be employed by the board of commissioners when filling the positions.
In another area, commissioners approved the adoption of new salaries for the county clerk, treasurer and register of deeds to be in alignment with the averages of comparable counties, effective Oct. 1, 2023. In July, county administration conducted and provided results from a salary study of elected officials’ salaries of comparable counties. In that survey, it concluded that the Van Buren County clerk, treasurer, and register of deeds fell below that average.
Commissioners sought to bring each of those elected officials’ salaries to be the average and also to increase the county clerk’s election stipend as it hasn’t been updated in several years.
The new salaries are now, clerk – $85,047.96 and election stipend increased from $2,000 to $5,000, treasurer – $83,661.76, register of deeds – $80,516.66.
Commissioners approved a request to terminate the Ambulance Services Inter-Local
Agreement with Keeler Township and amend the Van Buren Emergency Medical Services (VBEMS) Ambulance Services contract to include Keeler Township, effective Aug. 21, 2023.
Keeler Township has belonged to the Cass/Van Buren Emergency ServicesAuthority who contracted with Pride Care for ambulance services in Keeler Township.
Pride Care effective Aug. 21, 2023, discontinued operations in Keeler Township.
Keeler Township sought to separate from the Authority and discontinue the inter-local agreement that allows Van Buren County to distribute millage money to them directly, and, in its place, Keeler Township asked Van Buren County to add Keeler Township to the existing VBEMS contract. Van Buren County millage money for the third quarter will be: July 1, 2023 – Aug. 20, 2023: Pride Care, and Aug. 21, 2023 – Sept. 30, 2023: VBEMS.
Commissioners also approved amending the VBEMS Ambulance Services contract to
expand the geographical service effective Aug. 21, 2023, to include Keeler Township and
to terminate the Ambulance Services Inter-Local Agreement with Keeler Township.
Commissioners accepted a Blight Elimination Grant for $115,316. Through the State Land Bank Authority, $250,000 was awarded to all counties in the first round. In the first round, the Van Buren County Land Bank Authority (VBCLBA) did not utilize all available funding. For Round 2, Van Buren County officials solicited additional projects for both the remining guaranteed funding and competitive
funding.
The following projects were approved for guaranteed funding:
06 South Center St., Hartford – demolition (fire)
1014 Third St., Bangor – demolition (fire)
606 East Washington, Lawton – demolition, was approved for competitive funding.
The board also approved the sale of a 1995 Ford ambulance to the Van Buren Intermediate School District (VBISD) for $1. The ambulance had been used by the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Dive Team. In approving the sale, commissioners said the vehicle will be used by the VBISD for its first responder program.
The board approved a request for the Van Buren County treasurer to sign a grant agreement with the Michigan State Land Bank Authority. There have been numerous discussions on the use of ARPA funds to address youth mental health issues because of COVID. VBISD has worked with commissioners and other stakeholders to develop a conceptual program. All land banks were awarded $500,000 in Round 3 of the state’s blight elimination grant program.
The State Land Bank Authority (SLBA) has not yet finalized the criteria for this round of funding. Once that is made available, the VBCLBA will solicit projects and then submit qualifying projects to the SLBA for their approval. Once approved by the SLBA, the projects may proceed.
The board also approved a request to proceed with an upgrade of the 911 audio
recording system.
Commissioners said with the completion of the VHF Radio System upgrade project, it has been discovered there are some challenges with the county’s current audio logging system that has created
potential liability concerns. Those concerns include multiple instances of the recording system failing to record radio traffic on the MPSCS system. While troubleshooting and investigating source causes, it was determined that additional and upgraded equipment is needed. The estimated cost of the project is $185,000. The current 911 fund balance has sufficient funds to cover the cost of the project. ($1,894,193.00).
A proposal from Equature includes five-year maintenance. If paid up front, the county would realize a savings of approx. $57,000 over the course of five years. Quotes from
Motorola (radio) and Equature (recording vendor) were obtained. and are attached. The
phone vendor, InDigital, said their cost would be no more than $5000, but would need to verify current equipment prior to a purchase agreement. Equature, Motorola and InDigital are all county vendors who are currently utilized by 911 for recording all audio files, including phone and radio systems.
The board approved a request to enter into an agreement for the SCAO Access and Visitation service contract. For several years, Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Friends of the Court have filed a joint Access & Visitation grant application to share funds between the counties. The FY24 application has been approved. The grant provides for supervised parenting time in complex cases. Commissioners said they are seeking to expand the service in Van Buren County.
Commissioners approved a request to purchase 94 Naloxone kits, using Opioid Settlement Funds in the amount not to exceed $10,200. The safety kits will be distributed as follows: public schools – 48, parochial schools – 6, cities/villages – 11, townships – 17 (Bloomindale Village and Township combined), county – 12.
Commissioners approved the renewal of the existing Quality LegalRepresentation (QLR) & Child & Parent Legal Representation (CPLR) grant contracts.
Juvenile Court has been the recipient of two MDHHS grants for several years
- Quality Legal Representation and Child & Parent Legal Representation. These grants reimburse partial costs of attorneys and a social worker who provide ancillary services to
families involved in child protective cases. In line with this court’s philosophy of being a resource for Van Buren County families, these interventions have proven effective at
preventing removal of children from their homes or an earlier return to their home.
Services may include establishing paternity or custody, filing for divorce,
assisting with domestic violence or landlord tenant issues, helping restore a driver’s license, finding housing, completing applications for disability or assistance, resolving
contract disputes, and other barriers to permanency for children. Only Van Buren and Wayne counties are pilot counties for these innovative solutions. Commissioners said the state is pleased with the county’s success.
The Board also approved the Friend of the Courts Cooperative Reimbursement Program grant contract totaling $10,357,445.
The Friend of the Court is largely funded by the Cooperative Reimbursement
Program at a rate of 66 percent. The previous contract ran from 2017 – 2024 and the current contract is from 2024 – 2028. Commissioners said this contract allows the county to bill for reimbursable expenses. Van Buren County is a combined county, which means the county office handles establishment and enforcement. Establishment is a function of the county prosecutor’s office and has been signed by Chief Judge Brickley and Prosecutor Susan Zuiderveen.
Commissioners also approved the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) contract 2022-0144/P5, which provides Federal Section 5311 Capital funding for replacement buses.