COUNTY COMMISSION UPDATE

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent

ST. JOSEPH – Berrien County Commissioners will be busy the next few weeks as they go through the process of filling a vacancy on the county board. County Commission Don Meeks resigned in late April, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

Meanwhile, commissioners announced plans to slow down the process of granting county matching grants to municipalities for broadband expansion even as they awarded the first two of those grants. Commissioners also have approved organizational changes to Berrien County Animal Control.

In addition, a project to develop the site of a tragic 2018 motel fire in Sodus Township is moving forward after action by county commissioners. Plans are underway to build a nearly $10 million Speedway service station and convenience store on the site of the former Cosmos Motel where several people died in 2018.

With the commissioner vacancy, Meeks represents the third county commission district which encompasses five precincts in Benton Township. He had said earlier this year that he was not seeking re-election this year but announced at the close of the April 28 meeting that he was resigning effective that day to spend more time with his family.

His fellow commissioners expressed regret at his decision but accepted it and set the process for finding his replacement. Meeks has served on the county board for nearly six years.

Commissioners have 30 days to fill the position and said they would accept applications through May 10.  Staff were tasked with reviewing the applications on May 11 with the county board deciding who they want to interview on May 12. Interviews are to be conducted May 19 with a decision made that day or on May 26.

Whoever is appointed will serve until Dec. 31. Two people met last week’s filing deadline to run for the district three seat. They are Democrats Chokwe Pitchford and Joseph Taylor who will face off in the August primary. No Republican has filed to run for that seat.

The Speedway project will be located on M-139 near that highway’s intersection with I-94. The site was originally filled with orchards and then the site of a Howard Johnson’s hotel and restaurant, before the Cosmos Motel development.

Berrien County Community Development Director Dan Fette reported on the proposed Speedway Brownfield Plan at the board’s April 28 meeting, detailing the history of the site, what is planned to be built there and what the brownfield designation will mean for the county and the township.

Having the brownfield designation allows the developers to get a tax break on the costs of cleaning up the contamination found on the site. He estimated that it will take about 27 years for the property to generate the taxes to cover all the clean up costs.

Fette said that about $1.7 million of the estimated nearly $10 million expected to be spent to redevelop the site is eligible for reimbursement with the brownfield designation. Estimates put the new taxable value of the site to be about $3.7 million after redevelopment, he added.

“It is my understanding from talking to Speedway and its engineers that as soon as this brownfield plan is fully approved they are going to mobilize and start demolition almost immediately so it should be starting probably the second week of May,” he said.

The Cosmos Motel property to be demolished is 32,000 square feet in size. The new Speedway service station and convenience store is expected to be 4,608 square feet in size and be able to hold 64 occupants at any given time.

With broadband, county commissioners approved county matching grants to Bainbridge and Oronoko Townships at their late April meeting. Commissioners had voted earlier this year to set aside $6 million of the county’s nearly $30 million American Rescue Plan Act funding for broadband projects.

The county board awarded $562,500 in county funds to Bainbridge Township with Bainbridge providing $187,500 from their own American Rescue Plan Act funds. Oronoko Township has pledged their entire $700,000 ARPA allocation to their broadband project and the county will put in another $700,000. The county will accept applications until July 1.

Commissioners also approved a contract with DCS Technology Design for $185,300 to map the county’s rural broadband inventory. County Vice-Chair and BC Bit Chair Teri Freehling noted that townships have been telling the county that they need a clearer idea of where broadband gaps are.

She noted that the county is being deliberate and prudent in awarding grants as news comes of more state and federal funds becoming available for such projects. She said the county will be looking at different grant opportunities available through U.S.D.A. Reconnect as well programs coming out of federal and state infrastructure funding.

“So, we are actually slowing the awarding of those applications as they come through,” she said. “We’re not asking municipalities to stop their efforts but that we’re going to be more deliberate and prudent in the way that we’re looking at these as we’re looking at those funds that are coming from the federal and state governments.”

Berrien County Animal Control changes approved by commissioners call for five animal control officers be transferred to be under the supervision of the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department. The rest of the animal control department which involves the kennel operation will be under the supervision of an animal shelter manager.

In connection with those changes, commissioners approved a separation agreement with Animal Control Director Tiffany Peterson. She had held that post since October 2017. Peterson’s position is being eliminated with the organizational changes. The interim shelter manager will be Ashley Herr who has been a kennel supervisor since July, 2019.