BERRIEN COUNTY COMMISSION UPDATE

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
ST. JOSEPH – Berrien County Commissioners will be spending more of the county’s nearly $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds in coming weeks and months, this time to fund improvements at the Berrien County Jail.
That news was reported at last week’s Berrien County Board of Commissioners meeting. Commissioners also took action on a number of items, conducted annual evaluations of two county officials and continued to discuss when and where to hold night meetings this year.
Berrien County Administrator Brian Dissette reported to commissioners on the county’s plans to spend ARPA funds on county facilities. He noted that a facilities study done last spring outlined $63 million worth of work, with $35.7 million to be done over the next five years and $15.8 million identified as the most pressing needs.
He noted that the county is likely to get less work done than anticipated as construction prices have risen dramatically since the first cost estimates were given to the board last spring and not come down. As he told commissioners last summer, ARPA funded projects must be identified by the end of 2024 and completed by late 2026.
Dissette told commissioners that the first phase of the facilities projects scheduled to be done will be bid out in early February with work planned to begin this spring. County staff are also dealing with the aftermath of an early December fire that damaged the jail’s generator, he said.
Dissette and Administration Committee Chairman Jim Curran said the price tag for all the jail related projects to be done with ARPA funds including replacing the generator and addressing other electrical and cooling needs is expected to be around $4 million. Curran noted that the projects have all been approved but must go out for bid.
County commissioners have already spent some of the nearly $30 million in ARPA funds, providing grants to two townships to expand broadband services. The board had set aside $6 million for that project but later realized that the $6 million would not go far enough to meet all the needs in the county.
To that end, commissioners approved a new contract last week with DCS Technology Design for grant writing. The company which helped the county in broadband mapping efforts last year will be paid $18,000 for the grant writing. DCS will help the county write and submit grant applications to tap into additional federal and state funds for broadband.
Dissette said state officials are starting the process to decide how to divvy up an estimated $1.6 billion for broadband expansion in the state. To that end, officials are conducting a “listening tour” around the state to hear people’s views on the broadband need in their area which will include a stop at Lake Michigan College in Benton Township on Feb. 14 at 2 p.m.
Dissette and Corporate Counsel Thaddeus Hackworth have received favorable evaluations in their annual performance review by Berrien County Commissioners.
County Commissioner Robert Harrison chairs the Personnel and Human Services Committee and reported on the evaluations last week after a closed session between the board and the two officials. That announcement culminated several weeks in which commissioners individually evaluated Dissette and Hackworth.
“Each board member conducted their own review and submitted them,” Harrison said. “The reviews were then compiled and shared with Mr. Dissette and Mr. Hackworth. We then reviewed them in closed session.”
“The results were very positive,” Harrison added. “The county is lucky to have such talented individuals in these critical positions.”
He noted that Dissette joined the county in June, 2020 and Hackworth in January, 2022. “The board looks forward to their continuing service to the county in 2023 and beyond,” he said.
Last week’s county board meeting featured action on a number of items, recognition of a retiring Berrien County Sheriff’s Department K-9 officer and continued discussion of county board night meetings this year.
“Maxx” is retiring after six years with the sheriff’s department and will find a home with his original handler, Lt. Thomas Dyer and his family. He is one of four K-9 officers with the department and has excelled in apprehension of suspects and tracking missing people.
Commissioners have yet to set their night meeting schedule for the year. Night meetings are usually held once a month May through September at locations around the county.
Commissioners and residents have debated the issue the last few weeks. Curran argued two weeks ago for having two night meetings in the home districts of the two new commissioners but said having more than that are a strain on county staff and not necessarily productive.
Other commissioners and at least one area resident disagreed. They said night meetings allow more people to attend meetings and that it’s helpful to visit different parts of the county. Some said that the board should consider having more night meetings at the County Administration Center as well, which would allow meetings to be broadcast on YouTube.
Last week, County Commissioner and Finance Committee Chairman Mamie Yarbrough said her committee would like to have four or five night meetings this year, with two in the districts of new commissioners and one at the MSU Extension Service included.
Other action approved last week included approving three public transportation items for Berrien Bus. Approved were the Berrien Bus Vehicle Accessibility Plan, the Berrien Bus 2024 MDOT Budget and accompanying grant application as well as a shared services maintenance agreement between Berrien Bus and Cass County.