By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
St. JOSEPH – The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has a new vice-chairman after action at last week’s county board 2022 organizational meeting. Board Chairman McKinley Elliott remains in his post, while Commissioner Teri Freehling is the new vice-chairman.
Freehling previously served as board vice-chairman in 2019. She has been on the county board since 2015. She represents the Baroda area as well as Bridgman, Lake Township and part of Oronoko Township.
Her previous tenure as vice-chairman ended after conflict of interest charges were alleged after the death of her husband, a Baroda area farmer. An area contractor claimed that Freehling did not recuse herself from all board votes on drain work that benefitted her husband.
Investigations at the time by then Berrien County Prosecutor Michael Sepic and retired Berrien County Judge John Dewane ended with Sepic declining to prosecute Freehling and Dewane finding no evidence of wrongdoing on her part.
Freehling’s nomination to the post was made by Ezra Scott who had served in the vice-chairman post since 2020. Scott represents the New Buffalo and Three Oaks area and announced last year that he is running for Congress for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Fred Upton.
Upton has not announced re-election plans yet and the boundaries of the current sixth congressional district remain up in the air as the state’s independent redistricting commission finishes up their work. Scott is one of several candidates announcing plans to run for the seat.
Commissioners approved their 2022 meeting dates with provisions for a number of night meetings. Specific dates and times for the night meetings will be approved at a later date. Commissioners said they felt it’s important to get out to different parts of the county even though livestream capabilities might not always be available in outdoor settings.
“I think it’s more important to get out into the different municipalities for these night meetings, that’s more important,” Scott said. “No law says have to livestream and we always have good attendance at the night meetings.”
Elliott agreed. “Even if there’s just regular fare in terms of the agenda, some who have never attended a county board meeting might want to come,” he said. “Maybe we should hit places we haven’t been to or haven’t been to lately.”
He designated Freehling with the task of coming up with some spots to hold meetings and talk to local governmental leaders. He noted that the night meetings are normally held during Daylight Savings months when sunsets are later. “We can approve the calendar as is and tweak it when spring comes,” he said.
All other board appointments including committee chairmen and members remain the same as last year and were approved by acclamation by the board. Jim Curran will again chair the administration committee, Mamie Yarbrough the finance committee and Robert Harrison the personnel and human services committee.
Administration committee members are Curran, Don Meeks, vice-chair, David Vollrath and Julie Wuerfel. Finance committee members are Yarbrough, Jon Hinkelman, vice-chair, Ezra Scott and Teri Freehling. Personnel and human services committee members are Harrison, Michael Majerek, vice-chair, and Rayonte Bell.
As has been the case for several months, the pandemic was also discussed at last week’s meeting: namely the possibility of federal vaccine mandates imposed on the county and other large employers.
Elliott noted that the vaccine mandates developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was scheduled to be the subject of a hearing Jan. 7 before the U.S. Supreme Court after multiple court challenges around the county. He said he was hoping for a fast track decision by the high court to clear up the current confusion.
As a lawyer himself, he said he believes the Supreme Court will find the OSHA vaccine mandate to be unconstitutional as such a mandate should require Congressional action. He said the county is prepared to comply with the mandate if found to be constitutional but otherwise will not adopt it.
OSHA issued the mandate in early November with it set to be put in place this month. The mandate would require employers of more than 100 people have a vaccine plan in place by Dec. 6 and employees having to provide proof of vaccination or submit to weekly testing and wear face coverings starting this month.
County Administrator Brian Dissette said he planned to meet with county labor representatives later on Thursday. If the mandate stands, it will affect the county’s hundreds of employees including county commissioners.
Dissette also reported on his plans for upcoming county board meetings. He said Berrien County Interim Health Officer Guy Miller and Berrien RESA Superintendent Eric Hoppstock will speak to the board next Thursday, Jan. 13 at their committee of the whole meeting at 8:30 a.m.
Dissette said Miller and Hoppstock will answer people’s lingering questions about quarantines, mandates, vaccines and masking. “They will delve into those lingering questions and the schools’ and county’s role,” he said.
Dissette said commissioners should also expect a report on county assets and facilities in coming weeks. He said consultants are nearing completion of an assessment of county buildings, parks and other sites. “I anticipate the board will go into review of all properties in the next month at either the committee or board level,” he said.
He said consultant Jim Hettinger is nearing the end of his work on a new county strategic plan. He noted that at least three commissioners still have questions which will be addressed individually or as a group.
“We have to the point that we’re willing to adopt the plan which is the roadmap to using the American Rescue Plan Act dollars,” he said. “There’s a reason I’m going to be a little pushy, we need to have the funds allocated and spent by the end of 2024.”
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