BERRIEN COUNTY COMMISSION UPDATE

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
ST. JOSEPH – News came last week on a number of fronts including progress in getting a new radio communications tower constructed in southern Berrien County as well as state grants applied for and received.
Commissioner Dave Vollrath told fellow commissioners last week that work in progressing on both a new south county radio communications tower in the Buchanan area and the relocation of the 9-1-1 and Emergency Operations Center offices to the former AEP building in Buchanan.
Vollrath said 9-1-1 officials told the board’s Administration Committee that work has started on taking down the old tower with work to erect the new one to start soon. He said there are a few more details to work through for the tower project but it appears that construction will start soon.
County Administrator Brian Dissette said the new 800 megahertz signal tower will be located on land adjacent to the Buchanan Township Fire Station on North Main Street. It is close to the original site for the tower on the acreage around the AEP building.
The county had to go back to the drawing board last year when Native American artifacts were discovered on the AEP land. Since then, the county has been looking to move the tower to a nearby location near the Buchanan Township Fire Department station on North Main Street.
Berrien County received a $5 million state grant two years ago to help pay for the new communications tower which is expected to improve emergency and other communications along the state line and get rid of any “dead spots” in that area. The entire project is expected to cost $7.8 million.
Vollrath also reported that the county has finally closed on the purchase of the former AEP building at 500 Circle Drive in Buchanan. The county announced their intent to buy the building more than a year ago when county commissioners approved purchasing it for $200,000.
The former AEP building is expected to house the 9-1-1 and EOC operations after renovations are completed. Dissette said building renovations are focusing on roof repairs, HVAC updates, generator repairs, wiring updates and a variety of other work. He said he expects it to take as long as through the end of next summer to complete that work.
County officials have also talked about the possibility of the 500 Circle Drive building hosting other offices for other county departments such as the County Clerk’s election division as well as provide space for a south county conference room for county board meetings along with an early voting site for central and south county residents.
County officials have talked about offering space to the City of Buchanan for some city departments but those plans appear to be on hold. Dissette said earlier this summer that he had not talked with city officials since the departure of Heather Grace as city manager in late winter.
In grant news, County Commissioners approved applying for a community violence intervention grant. The Berrien County Health Department plans to apply for a $1 million grant from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to pay for programs to identify high risk individuals and breaking the cycle of violence through interventions.
The health department is working with the sheriff’s department, the prosecutor’s office and the Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor to apply for the grant. The deadline for the grant application is Oct. 23.
The resolution also orders the health department to develop a plan to reduce violence in the community along with submitting the grant application.
Commissioners tabled a similar grant application for $2 million in federal funding in April after some commissioners questioned the scope of that grant program.
In another grant application, commissioners approved applying to the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) for up to $1.63 million to pay for a section of the Red Arrow Linear Park in Chikaming Township. The park/linear trail is expected to ultimately run from New Buffalo to Bridgman.
News also came last week about grants coming to the county as well as to three municipalities.
County Commissioner Jim Curran reported that the county board will be accepting three grants this week to fund court related programs. The county is getting $200,000 for the Swift & Sure Sanctions program, $40,000 for the Drug Court program and $107,000 for the Mental Health Court program.
Three municipalities, Benton Harbor, Baroda and Galien, will be getting funds to pay for road projects, according to a press release from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office. Benton Harbor will be getting $192,500 for Jefferson Street, Baroda will get $100,000 for Pheasant Run and Galien will get $46,700 for Karen Drive and First Street.
A total of 47 villages and cities across the state are getting road grants totaling $8 million through the Community Service Infrastructure Fund (CSIF) Category B program. The program was established in 2018 to help fund projects in small communities around the state.
Commissioners received the annual apportionment report from Berrien County Equalization Director Warren Parrish at their meeting last week. The report included information on the updated millage rates from municipalities and other entities across the county. Commissioners then approved submitting the report to the state.
Parrish told commissioners that 70 various taxing authorities throughout the county are levying over 200 different millage rates. In addition to the county, 22 townships, eight cities, nine villages, 21 schools and nine other taxing authorities are levying a millage of some sort.